Kobie van Rensburg, Lautten Compagney - Songs of an English Cavalier (2007)

Tracklist

01. Fine Knacks for Ladies IJD 6
02. What If I Never Speed? IJD 42
03. Tablature Book: LIX. Fortune My Foe
04. Flow My Tears IJD 7
05. Captain Humes Poeticall Musicke FVB 67: My Hope Is Revived
06. Two Bookes of Ayres, the First contayning Divine and Morall Songs, the Second Light Conceits of Lovers: Never Weather-Beaten Sail
07. Thrice Tosse These Oaken Ashes
08. The Woods so Wild FVB 67
09. Can She Excuse My Wrongs? IJD 66
10. A Pilgrimes Solace IJD 68: V. Shall I strive with wordes to move
11. A Pilgrimes Solace IJD 68: VI. Were Every Thought an Eye
12. The First Booke of Songes: VI. Now, Oh Now I Needs Must Part
13. Ayres and Dialogues for 1-3 Voices Book 2 IHL 2: XV. Go Lovely Rose
14. A Collection of 24 Songs by English composers of the 17th and 18th centuries: III. Come Lovely Phillis
15. I Am Confirmed a Woman Can
16. Ayres and Dialogues for 1-3 Voices Book 3 IHL 2: XIV. In Love? Away, You Do Me Wrong
17. The Excellency of Wine
18. The Royall Consort: Almain
19. The Royall Consort: Corant
20. The Royall Consort: Saraband
21. Why, Flavia
22. Amphion Anglicus IJB 2: The Self Banished
23. Tell me no more
24. Selected Songs: III. I attempt from Love' s sickness
25. Chacony in G Minor, Z.730
26. The Fairy Queen Z.629: XLI. Hark! The ech'ing air

Berlin's Lautten Compagney, originally consisting of a pair of lutenists, expanded to a small, shifting Renaissance ensemble for this 2001 recording, and later to orchestra size for an innovative series of releases that ranged from Baroque opera up to the 20th century. The same adventurous spirit is present in this release, attractively paired with the general-interest appeal of a survey of English music of the 17th century. Director and lutenist Wolfgang Katschner keeps things moving along with a variety of work types and forces. One of the chief novelties here is the rather operatic singing of South African tenor Kobie van Rensburg, who moves effectively from a big, bright sound in the upbeat songs to a quieter and more graceful Flow, my tears (track 4); the overall variety of moods and vocal textures is unusually large for a recording of this type. Presumably not an anglophone, he achieves a combination of clear articulation (the booklet texts, in English and German translation, are hardly needed) and natural delivery that escapes even many an English singer. Another rather daring move is the tempo freedom essayed by Katschner's Lautten Compagney, never pushed too far but conspiring with van Rensburg's breezy voice to produce an album that's satisfying for newcomers as well as those with collections of music from the English golden age. The album does not fit into the English traditions of performing this music, but there's room for more than one way.

DOWNLOAD ALBUM [flac]