| Press | English - Deutsch |
Melancholy Lute Songs Announce Lovesickness The inner world of the Renaissance comes alive in the playing of Joel Frederiksen Süddeutscher Zeitung, June 14, 2005 In essence everything revolved around Petrarca: The famous Italian poet created a love lyric, which has evolved into a European model, dealing with the worship of the beloved and putting love on a pedestal. The sun turning red and laurel form a great part of the lyric's metaphor pool. Imploration and despite, misery and distress: Fortune is blamed sullenly, sometimes even resignedly. With the title "Orpheus, I am" Frederiksen presented musical settings from England, France and Italy. Frederiksen is not a megalomaniac, although with this title one might at first think otherwise. The title can be traced back to a ballad from Robert Johnson and also refers to Frederiksen's most recent solo recording. A comparison to the great Greek ballad singer, who with his song could bring even stones to tears, need not frighten Frederiksen: his bass is magnificently sonorous and his play ornate. The American who chose to live in Munich, was educated in New York and Michigan. In top-level Early Music ensembles such as the Boston Camerata and the Waverly Consort, he gained experience. In Europe, performances followed with the Huelgas Ensemble and the Freiburg Baroque Orchestra, as well as with Early Music stars like Jordi Savall, Stephen Stubbs and Paul O'Dette. Around twenty recordings can be found on first-class labels such as EMI, Harmonia Mundi, Erato, and Virgin. The melancholy of loves-sadness also creates a mood: When Frederiksen sings, he warms the heart. The well-attended Baroque hall of the cloister overflowed with beguiling sounds that were presented with charming naturalness. The audience listened spellbound, as if eavesdropping, to the modern Minnesinger. With charm and humour he wound the audience around his finger. The high point during the first part of the evening, were the musical settings of John Dowland. The then famous Englishman worked also in Germany. Enormous the melodic and rhythmic variety, and sensitive the text setting. The extremely beautiful "Flow my tears" was at that time a world-hit. Not less distinctive and intricately woven is "Time stands still": What was that for an intense fully-composed and excellently executed pause-simply unheard-of! In the second part the main focus was on Giulio Caccini: His name is tied to the beginning of opera. Presented were selections from "Le nuove musiche". With virtuosity Frederiksen plunged from the highest high to the deepest deep and played simultaneously also brilliantly on the lute. A marvellous love-evening-although not completely, because with Batailles "Qui veut chaser une migraine" a drinking song was also performed. MARCO FREI << back to press |