Venezia 1625 = Music by CASTELLO, ROSSI, MERULA, UCCELLINI, STORACE, FONTANA – Maurice Steger and Ensemble – Harmonia mundi 902024, 67:30 *****:
Not since the early and now often abused recordings by David Munrow and his consort have I been so enthralled by a recording of Renaissance dance music. The musicians present at St. Mark’s Basilica in the early 1600s enjoyed hosting the avantgarde of their day, and the physical layout of the place only added to the spatial and tonal possibilities. Double choirs, high platforms, and two front organs gave the composers of the day a lot to think about and employ in a variety of colorful and one-of-a-kind performances. Maurice Steger, recorder virtuoso extraordinaire, and his 13 member ensemble use a variety of instruments including viola da gamba, chitarrone, organ, harpsichord, theorbo, baroque guitar, cello, baroque harp, violin, and dulcian in order to give us a recital of colored splendor, zesty rhythms, and wonderfully varied ensemble makeup. The pitch is given as “Venetian”, A = 466, and so the sound is extremely bright and brilliant.
We went through a period post-Munrow where the early music specialists seemed to frown upon his recreations of the day, and settled into more sedate and monochromatic performances that were supposedly more authentic. With this release we can hope the circle has come around full, and the extraordinarily lively nature of this period can once again claim its place in sound as the words of Shakespeare do in words—beautifully sculptured and profoundly meaningful. Sound is splendid, performances nonpareil. Highly recommended!
— Steven Ritter
