Romanesca: Italian Music for Harpsichord

On this CD:

1. Toccata for keyboard (from the Fitzwilliam Virginal Book)
Composed by Giovanni Picchi
Performed by Sophie Yates

2. Balli d'Arpicordo, for harpsichord, Ballo ditto il Picchi
Composed by Giovanni Picchi
Performed by Sophie Yates

3. Seconda stravaganza a 4
Composed by Giovanni de Macque
Performed by Sophie Yates

4. Partita sopra l'Aria di Follia, for harpsichord
Composed by Girolamo Frescobaldi
Performed by Sophie Yates

5. Balli d'Arpicordo, for harpsichord, Ballo alla polacha con il suo saltrello
Composed by Giovanni Picchi
Performed by Sophie Yates

6. Toccata No. 7 (Toccate e correnti d'intavolatura d'organo e cimbalo (1640))
Composed by Michelangelo Rossi
Performed by Sophie Yates

7. Partita No 14, sopra l'aria della romanesca
Composed by Girolamo Frescobaldi
Performed by Sophie Yates

8. Balli d'Arpicordo, for harpsichord, Ballo ongaro con il suo balletto
Composed by Giovanni Picchi
Performed by Sophie Yates

9. Canzon francese for keyboard, W. 10/16
Composed by Carlo Gesualdo
Performed by Sophie Yates

10. Tenore del passo e mezo
Composed by Antonio Valente
Performed by Sophie Yates

11. Susanne un jour (G. Guerault), chanson for 5 voices, B. 52 (S. xiv/29)
Composed by Orlande de Lassus
Performed by Sophie Yates

12. Todescha con il suo balletto, for harpsichord
Composed by Giovanni Picchi
Performed by Sophie Yates

13. Toccata for keyboard in A minor
Composed by Girolamo Frescobaldi
Performed by Sophie Yates

14. Toccate d'intavolatura di cimbalo et organo (1637), No. 11, Partite cento sopra passacagli
Composed by Girolamo Frescobaldi
Performed by Sophie Yates

Tracks:

Toccata
Ballo ditto il Pichi
Seconde Stravaganze
Partite 6 sopra l'Aria di Follia
Ballo all Polacha
Toccata No.7
Partite 14 sopra l'Aria della Romanesca
Ballo Ongaro
Canzon francese del Principe
Tenore del passo e mezo con sei mutanze
Susanne un jour
Todescha
Toccata In A Minor
Cento Partite sopra Passacagli

Customer Reviews:

Good sampling of early Italian keyboard music.......2006-05-30

The pieces played on this recording are well-chosen and beautifully played. The CD contains a selection of Italian music based on dance/vocal forms and toccatas composed during the late 16th and 17th centuries. Some of the pieces, notably the Seconde Stravaganze by Giovanni de Macque and the Seventh Toccata by Rossi, make use of chromatic harmonies popular during this period, which do produce an "out-of-tune" effect in mean tone tuning, but that was the point! If this at first seems grating, it becomes intriguing and appealing after a few listenings. A highlight of the recording is Frescobaldi's impressive Cento Partite sopra Passacagli, considered to be one of the finest pieces of variations of the 17th century. As usual, Sopie Yates has created a magical recording. The sound quality is also quite good.

Didn't they tune this thing?.......2004-12-11

I found most of this CD unlistenable because of this harpsichord's horribly bad intonation, reminiscent of a saloon piano in an old Western movie. What ever charm the selection of pieces may have had was destroyed by the wild beating of mis-tuned strings, particularly evident with descending lines. One wonders if the poor instrument was left in the rain just prior to the recording session, or if the instrument was tuned to a mean-tone temperment, after which the keyboard was transposed a semitone. Did no one listen to this recording before releasing it?

good sounds.......2002-02-09

There are few harpsichord and harpsichordists I can listen to for more than 3 minutes without great pain attacks and the distinct feeling that the `universal force'
is in danger of some frightful injury.

Yates uses the light sounding Italian instrument which `almost' sounds like a guitar ... anyway a great deal more easy on the ears than the breaking glass cacophony of some `overly enthusiastic' ornamenters on the `northern European' heavy harpsichord.