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Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
In his day, Silvius Leopold Weiss (1686-1750) was one of the most famous musicians in Germany. An exact contemporary of Bach, he lived and worked in luxury in the ducal court at Dresden. However, when, after he died, his instrument the lute and the tablature method of writing for it descended into obsolescence, his reputation dwindled too. He wrote some 600 works for the baroque lute, almost all of them dance suites although they were titled either sonatas or partitas. They were for the mind and not for the feet to dance to. Unlike the Renaissance lute, the baroque instrument is tuned to a chord (D minor).It resonates richly and booms with a variable number of unfretted bass strings. The three sonatas, which the brilliant Canadian lutenist Robert Barto plays with barely a squeak on this Naxos disc, span the composer's career. The early period Sonata in D major is distinguished by a freely rhythmic, unbarred Prelude. Weiss's mid-life Sonata in C minor is marked by a wonderfully doleful Minuet. By the time Weiss wrote his profound Sonata in D minor in later life, his movements had become extended and absorbing intellectual journeys. Barto renders Weiss's elegantly circuitous trail absolutely logical.--Rick Jones
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Weiss, held to be the foremost lutenist of his time, was an almost exact contemporary of Bach and so his time was the last flowering of Baroque lute music. He left a huge and very distinguished legacy of compositions, which really show the true beauty and versatility of the lute. All of the music is full of melodic invention and Weiss's mastery of his instrument is clear from the richness of the harmonic structures. It is fitting that this very fine composer is now receiving rather more attention. He thoroughly deserves it.
Robert Barto's entire series of recordings of Weiss's lute works has been truly excellent. I also have recordings of Weiss by Jakob Lindberg and Nigel North - two modern giants of the lute - and Barto is at least their equal, in my view. His technique is impeccable, leaving him free to concentrate on and interpret what the music is saying. I have gradually accumulated all ten (so far) of the discs in this series and my enjoyment of them has never diminished. Barto brings out all the wonderful interest and variety in Weiss's music and obviously has a real empathy with it and love for it.
The recording is excellent and the sheer sound of the instrument is a joy. All round, this is a wonderful disc and at this price you can't really go wrong. I warmly recommend both this and every other volume in this outstanding series.
Robert Barto's entire series of recordings of Weiss's lute works has been truly excellent. I also have recordings of Weiss by Jakob Lindberg and Nigel North - two modern giants of the lute - and Barto is at least their equal, in my view. His technique is impeccable, leaving him free to concentrate on and interpret what the music is saying. I have gradually accumulated all ten (so far) of the discs in this series and my enjoyment of them has never diminished. Barto brings out all the wonderful interest and variety in Weiss's music and obviously has a real empathy with it and love for it.
The recording is excellent and the sheer sound of the instrument is a joy. All round, this is a wonderful disc and at this price you can't really go wrong. I warmly recommend both this and every other volume in this outstanding series.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
8 reviews
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Weiss Sonatas for Lute,Volume 3,Robert Barto Naxos
25 Mar 2000
Format:Audio CD
This is an excellent cd,as with his previous 2 Naxos recordings.Robert Barto,a pupil of the late Michael Schaffer and the finest of Eugen.M.Dombois's students.His understanding of the lute is replete,playing with an all to uncommon joy uncustomary to it's noble grace more akin to melancholy.Sylvius.L.Weiss arguably(and in my opinion)the finest Lutanist that has lived.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
superb performance of classic lute music
20 Sep 2000
Format:Audio CD
Superbly played, well recorded disc of some magnificent music from Herr Weiss. The music is permeated by the dance rhythms which make it so appealing to listeners of this era, and yet at times in the slow passages have a poignant ring that put to shame all the horrid "new age" music that now invades the airwaves.Give yourself a treat and get this disc!
7 of 9 people found the following review helpful
superb music, musicianship
16 Dec 2002
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
these weiss recordings by robert barto (and the parallel series recorded by lutz kirchhof) provide a beautiful and unexpectedly poignant taste of the late baroque. the lutes in both series have a splendid tone, resonant and bright, and the recordings are close (20 bit technology is used) without being too detailed. the pieces are played with nary a buzz or flubbed note and with stunning rhythmic momentum and verve. (kirchhof once or twice pops a string in his enthusiasm.) the various suites by weiss are not strongly contrasted musically -- all are built around similar harmonic progressions and motifs, developed as arpeggiated chords and free scales -- and all the discs in the barto and kirchhof series are delightful: the music is gently propulsive, endlessly evolving, wistful, joyful, reflective and dancing by turns. highly recommended.
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