Lute Music

The appearance in November 2009 of Paul O'Dette's CD of music by Melchior Neusidler is exciting news. And long awaited. For about 15 years! Neusidler was very prolific (well over 200 works survive), and before committing to a CD, O'Dette wanted to know the entire output intimately. How many take such a thorough approach to repertory building? And the CD benefits because he was able to select a well balanced cross-section of the various genres in which Neusidler worked: ricercars and fantasias, German and Italian dances, arrangements of sacred and secular vocal music, etc.Neusidler (ca. 1531-after 1590), son (not brother) of lutenist Hans Neusidler, is (in the opinion of many) the greatest of central European lutenist-composers of the Renaissance. His music is not easy and this accounts in part for his obscurity. Few players today have the chops to master it. He and his brother Conrad, also a lutenist, were doubtlessly trained by their father, who incorporated the teaching materials into his popular books, which contain much music that would appeal to youthful apprentice lutenists. They both later settled in Augsburg where Melchior headed his own consort "stille Musik," and became the favorite of the Fuggers, whose patronage is remembered with the "Fuggerin Tanz," recorded here.This music often soars into the highest ranges of the lute, and employs, especially in the ricercars, technically complex contrapuntal textures. But O'Dette's virtuoso playing takes the music with apparent ease.

Lovely music provided by Amazon-a nice addition to my online library of music. Great experience. I have listened to this album several times already and enjoy Paul O'Dette mightily. Good experience.

The very best.

... and other jewels of the international musical Hit Parade of the 16th Century! I'm not kidding. That chanson composed by Cipriano da Rore became one of the 'standards' of the huge repertoire of "divisions" -- elaborately decorated virtuosic instrumental 'improvisations' for viola da gamba, cornetto, and violin, in a sense the jazz/pop-music of the era -- of intricate tablatures for lute or guitar, and of 'parody' masses by the greatest composers of the century. It's one of the lute tablatures, by the German Melchior Neusidler, that you'll hear nect to last on this CD, followed by Neusidler's formidably virtuosic Fantasy super Ancor che col partire. This recital also includes Neusidler's tablatures of chansons by Thomas Crequillon (Ung gai Bergier), Jacques Arcadelt (O felici occhi miei), and Hans Leo Hassler (Car mia dolce stella), all of them 'standards' almost as popular as Ancor ce col partire. The other slections include fantasies based on familiar German hymns and Lieder, popular dances of the Renaissance such as the pazzemezzo and saltarello, clever elaboratiosn of peasant dances, and densely contrapuntal ricercares.Melchior Neusidler (1531-1594) was a lutenist's lutenist, the son of a famous lute teacher and the brother of another lute virtuoso. He was apparently a stormy character, a bit of a brawler, but his artistry as a lutenist kept him in favor with his patrons in Augsburg, a certain family of bankers surnamed the Fugger, who one supposes could afford to make bail for him as needed. Neusidler played a major role in introducing the newest styles and techniques of lute-playing from Italy into Germany, establishing his instrument as the vehicle of virtuosity that eventually produced the Baroque suites of Bach and Weiss.Paul O'Dette is anything but a stormy character and I doubt that he's ever been in a brawl, though he started his musical career as a rock guitarist. His reputation as a lutenist, especially on the smaller lutes of the Renaissance and Elizabethan repertoires, is as pre-eminent as Neusidler's was in the 16th C. It's his "touch" on the strings that sounds ineffably gentle and sweet. This is a performance to to sip like vintage Sherry.And then, if the tune of Ancor che col partire gets stuck in your mind: Ancor che col partire: Diminutions of the 16th Century Ancor che col partire (Diminutionen des 16. Jahrhunderts) Musica Italiana 1600-1650 Rognoni: Selva De Varij Passaggi 1620 And there's a superb "Messe ancor che col partire" by Jachet de Mantoue, but you'll have to shop off-amazon for that.

as expected, a superb rendition of Renaissance lute from the incomparable Paul O'dette.

The new CD by Paul O' Dette,preminent american lutenist,is dedicated to the musicby the mid-century Germanlutenist Hans Neusidler.A composer well knownby lute players, butvirtually unknown bythe general public ofclassic music enthusiasts.In fact, to the best ofmy knowledge, this isthe first disc whollydeidcated to thiscomposerThe choice of composer'pieces seems to reflectthe obvious influence ofearly italian Renaissancelute music, and Frenchchansons: we see a numberof Fantasias, intabulationsof madrigals and French chansons,with some dance movement.Honour to Paul for thecomposer choice, andthe [i]usual[/i] impeccabletechnique.A first impression(the CD will besold in Italy probablyin November)before a chalmand reflective hearingof this disc

...attestant l'attrait qu'exerçait la musique sur cette très riche famille de banquiers d'Augsbourg.A peine âgé de dix-neuf ans, Melchior Neusidler (1531-1594) se plaça à leur service pour trois décennies. Fils aîné d'un luthier lui-même auteur d'une méthode réputée (et d'une dissonante "Judentanz"), le compositeur fit publier plusieurs recueils regroupant environ deux-cents pièces, dont la notoriété gagna l'Europe entière : Fantaisies, Danses, transcriptions de chansons à la mode ou de chorals luthériens.« La popularité de ces oeuvres fut loin d'être éphémère comme en témoignent les innombrables copies dont elles firent l'objet » nous explique Paul O'Dette dans le livret du CD.Le système de notation allemand passait pour le plus complexe de l'époque (cf pp 72-80 en  cet ouvrage  de Willi Appel), et le moindre mérite du virtuose américain n'est pas d'avoir osé affronter ces redoutables tablatures. Et d'en tirer une exécution qui semble aussi évidente que poétique, sur trois instruments choisis pour correspondre au caractère de chaque pièce.« La légendaire maîtrise digitale de Paul O'Dette et le plaisir de l'oreille ne font qu'un [...] Il butine en expert cet harmonieux jardin des menus plaisirs » écrivait Roger Tellart dans le magazine Diapason de novembre 2008 (page 108).Capté au Domaine Forget en octobre 2006, ce programme de 78 mn rend largement compte du génie novateur de Neusidler -son habileté à la glose, son audace harmonique, son ornementation fleurie, et de la confondante variété de sa production.Infatigable défricheur du répertoire à cordes pincées, O'Dette réhabilite la place de cet éminent prédécesseur de Johannes Kapsberger, cet autre « Tedesco della tiorba » qui lui a trop longtemps fait de l'ombre aux yeux de la postérité. cet ouvrage

Au début, on se dit que la sonorité du luth est agréable et que cela nous change de la guitare. A la longue, on se dit que cette musique finit par être lassante, malgré la diversité des tempos. Cela ne provient certainement pas de l’interprète, maître de cet instrument et qui réalisé de très nombreux enregistrements. Je ne pense pas d’ailleurs que les banquiers Fugger, protecteur de Neusidler à Augsbourg au XVIème siècle, aient écouté ces pièces plus d’une heure de rang. C’est souvent le problème des disques de récital instrumentaux ou vocaux : il faut parfois les écouter en plusieurs fois.Alors, oui, mais à petites doses…Commentaires en français, anglais, allemand, enregistrement de studio de 2006.

This is a delightful survey of a relatively obscure composer's output. To say that O'Dette does Neusidler justice and plays superbly is almost superfluous. A thoroughly enjoyable disc.

Paul O`Dette ist ein echter Meister auf seinem Instrument. Außerdem ein ständig Suchender, der sich nicht vor schwierigen Handschriften scheut. Fantastisch!