| Review by JJ June 1, 2007 (4 of 7 found this review helpful)
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Performance: Sonics (S/MC): / |
C’est à l’âge de 17 ans, alors qu’il faisait son apprentissage du violoncelle, que Jordi Savall découvrit Marin Marais et la Viole. Des années plus tard, en 1977, il gravait, pour le label Astrée une première sélection de 12 pièces pour la viole tirée de la Suite d’un goût Etranger du IV livre. Et aujourd’hui, pour célébrer le 350ème anniversaire de la naissance de Marin Marais (1656-1728), soit trois décennies plus tard, le plus célèbre violiste de notre temps parachève le grand œuvre du compositeur français en enregistrant l’intégralité des 33 pièces. Datant de 1717, l’œuvre était faite, selon Marais lui-même : « Pour satisfaire aux différents goûts du public sur la viole ». Ajoutant : « J’ai jugé à propos de diviser ce quatrième Livre en trois parties et d’en diversifier les pièces, afin que chacun y puisse trouver ce qui lui conviendra le mieux ». Jordi Savall répond parfaitement à ces propos en diversifiant les accompagnements autour de son instrument. Avec des d’artistes de tout premier plan comme notamment le claveciniste Pierre Hantaï, Rolf Lisveland au Théorbe ou encore Andrew Lawrence-King à la Harpe, il retrouve son inspiration d’alors pour la sublimer en un élan musical à la fois passionné et rigoureux. La sobriété de l’accompagnement porte la viole, la soutient, pour lui permettre d’offrir, avec le plus de vie possible, des nuances profondes et souveraines. Trente ans après, la sagesse a pris place aux côtés de la perfection. Savall retrouve ainsi l’essence d’une œuvre, celle d’un instrument, d’un compositeur, qu’on louait jadis en ces termes : « On peut dire que Marais a porté la viole à son plus haut degré de perfection, et qu’il est le premier qui en a fait connaître toute l’étendue et toute la beauté par le grand nombre d’excellentes pièces qu’il a composées sur cet instrument, et par la manière admirable dont il les exécutait ». Voici donc un album de deux Super Audio CD incontournables à la prise de son exemplaire.
Jean-Jacques Millo
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| Review by Jakob July 20, 2007 (4 of 4 found this review helpful)
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Performance: Sonics (S/MC): / |
This SACD-Set is grandious. Jordi Savall and friends give us such pleasure that I cannot imagine a better recorded album.
The reason for the extremly touching result of the SACD is first of all the music: The genius of Marin Marais' gamba music lies in his omnipresent, but not too aparent melancholity. In every piece, be it as virtuous or quick as possible, there is a touch of bittersweet feeling, making gooseflesh to the listener. I will not pick out several pieces because all are a treat for themselves. In addition, Savall plays so extremly delicate that it is a complete delight. His musicality, sense for style and, of course, virtuosity is beyond every criticism. His music making is divine, not from our world. His combatants, Marc Hantai, Rolf Lislevand, Xavier Díaz-Latorre, Philippe Pierlot and of course Pedro Estevan, are the best accompanist possible.
But also the technical side of this album is so great, so perfect, so splendid that there is no way around this SACD. Manuel Mohino, one of Savalls prefered sound technicans, has created an warm, gorgeous and dazzling sonic stage, with Jordi in the centre and his co-musicians around him. Recorded propably with DPA microphones (as the most of Savalls CDs), you can hear everything. Everything means, that you hear the noises of the fingers, page-turning, breath etc. and this gives the sound such an vibrancy that you feel almost like in St Michel en Thierache, France, where the recording sessions took place in August and September 2006. And this in already in stereo! In multichannel this is again better (of course). There you REALLY are in the french church.
So I hope that every music lover or audiophile will buy this SACD Set soon!!!
PS: I guess to hear the album after a long and exhausting, or frustrating day. You'll see, this album whith is the best consolation you can imagine.
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| Review by DdraigGoch March 11, 2008 (3 of 3 found this review helpful)
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Performance: Sonics (S): |
Quite simply a magnificent performance of music from the fourth book of music for viols of Marin Marais, performed by the legendary Jordi Savall and accompanynig musicians. From the opening drumbeats (yes, there is percussion too) that precede the viola da Gamba entry, it is plain that we are in for something special. The Suite d'un Goût Etranger (Suite in a Foreign Style) is here played in its entirety, though it only forms part of the fourth book. The playing of all the musicians is exquisite and the subtle nuances of this wonderful but relatively unknown music shine through. I won't go into detail about the music itself, since words cannot describe music adequately, and I would waffle on forever!
The accoustics of the French church are simply cavernous, but the instruments never get lost in the space and are presented with just the right amount of clarity and ambience.
Listening in SACD stereo only, the pure DSD recording is truly lifelike. Switching to the CD layer is actually almost as good, with only a slight loss of inner detail, the overall ambience being quite preserved. It seems to me that recording techniques have come a long way from what I consider to be the bad old days of the early 1980s, and that very good sound is available even in 16-bit PCM.
Highly recommended.
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