Ferrari, Fresobaldi, Caccini, Monteverdi, Dowland, Purcell

Anne Sofie von Otter has structured this recital in three contrasting sections: songs by early Baroque composers including Caccini, Ferrari and Monteverdi, a group from Purcell two generations later and, remaining in England, back to Dowland at the end. Each section is framed by an instrumental piece from one of the continuo players. Von Otter clearly analyses texts in detail, considering the impact of each word, each note, but restoring them to beautifully sustained musical lines. Impeccable diction and intentional mistunings intensify the wit of Ferrari’s ‘Amanti, io vi so dire’; Dowland’s lament ‘In darkness let me dwell’ is wonderfully subtle. Her breath seems inexhaustible as his ‘Weep you no more’ ends ‘softly... sleeping’. She is exceptionally versatile: it’s hard to believe that the same voice sings a gentle lullaby from Monteverdi’s Poppea and immediately after engages in a tirade against love betrayed, Strozzi’s ‘Udite, amanti’. The decision to dispense with a bowed string bass instrument results in a delightfully transparent texture. Continuo forces range from a single lute to all three players together, with Purcell’s more knotty harmonies supported by harpsichord. Jakob Lindberg’s playing is outstanding for its legato, a quality particularly hard to achieve on a plucked instrument. He and Jory Vinikour also contribute the five instrumental interludes. The recorded sound creates an effective three-dimensional image, immediate but free of extraneous fingering noise from the plucked strings. While most of this recital is not new to the catalogue, such heartfelt performance communicated through seamless technique lifts this disc far above the ordinary. George Pratt