It is a long time since I have found a new lute performance that so delights my ears. With featherlight touch and supple ornamentation, Bernhard Hofstötter brings forgotten repertoire back to life. He brings music from the legendary music collection of Dr. Werner Wolffheim. The manuscript AUS-Mml ms. LHD 243 "Album für die Laute" is unique and contains several compositions that cannot be found in any other source.
The manuscript brings questions and intriguing music with it. Its origins are shrouded in mystery. It is a selection of French tablature for an 11-string baroque lute, presumably compiled around the year 1700 in present-day Germany. The title "Album für die Laute" was added to it later in pencil. Many works have no composer credited and the names we know are of lesser-known composers about whom little information has been preserved. In short, many question marks.
But that does not detract from the quality of the music. And certainly not from the sublime interpretation of Bernhard Hofstötter. On his album, he brings a selection of dances. He arranged them in a pleasant sequence so that different tempos and atmospheres alternate with each other. It keeps the listening fresh and exciting.
With pure attack and carefully chosen ornamentation, Hofstötter plays with the music. The score is his guide. Sarabande [track 05] by Achaz Casimir Hültz (1658-1723) and the anonymous untitled work [track 10] illustrate this beautifully. The quality of the recording must also be praised. Hofstötter plays with a featherlight attack and with meticulous, dynamic differences. From the fastest runs to the silent notes, they all come through the speakers crystal clear.
4.5/5
- WHO: Bernhard Hofstötter [lute]
- WHAT: Album Für Die Laute
- LABEL: TYXart TXA22172
- ORDER: JPC