Christopher Herrick - Sweelinck: Keyboard Music (2003)

Tracklist

CD1
01. Fantasia chromatica, SwWV 258
02. Onder een linde groen, SwWV 49
03. Ons is gheboren een Kindekijn
04. More palatino
05. Onse Vader in hemelrijk
06. Ballo del granduca, SwWV 319
07. Erbarm dich mein, o Herre Gott
08. Est-ce Mars?
09. Christe, qui lux es et dies
10. Ick voer al over Rhijn
11. Malle Sijmen
12. Psalm 116 "Ik heb den Heer lief"
13. Poolsche dans

CD2
01. Fantasia "a-Phrygian"
02. Engelsche fortuyn
03. Mein junges Leben hat ein End'
04. Pavana Philippi
05. Toccata "Ionian"
06. Pavana lachrimae
07. Allein Gott in der Höh sei Ehr
08. Ich ruf' zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ
09. Pavana hispanica
10. Nun freut euch, lieben Christen gemein
11. Echo fantasia "Ionian"
12. Ricercar "Aeolian"

Let us not be too pious!—even in the presence of music so full of religious reference—the notes for the present issue refer to the composer, born near Amsterdam and later known as the ‘Orpheus of Amsterdam’, as a "clubbable man" and make the observation that organ recitals were used to keep people out of inns and taverns! They could have worse consequences: the English composer Peter Philips came to hear Sweelinck play and, as a Catholic, found himself under arrest. Such is the background of this varied and somewhat neglected music. It ranges from large-scale fantasies to small dance forms, often with a sense of verve in the composer's inventiveness of harmonies and form. His legendary ability to fashion variations by improvising at the keyboard are evident in the examples here, based both on secular and sacred melodies—even on plainchant—which are as full of life and character as the Dutch street-scene paintings of the period.

An important set of discs full of surprises and delights, all, as ever, expertly played by Christopher Herrick.

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