Senza continuo

$16.99 (COMPACT DISC)

Link to this COMPACT DISC

3 Preludes in E minor (more info)
Composed by: Jean de Sainte-Colombe
Margaret Little, viola


1.   Prelude No. 1 - 00:01:43
2.   Prelude No. 2 - 00:02:47
3.   Prelude No. 3 - 00:02:44


Suite de pieces in G major (more info)
Composed by: Sieur de Machy
Margaret Little, viola


4.   I. Prelude - 00:00:48
5.   II. Allemande - 00:02:46
6.   III. Courante - 00:02:00
7.   IV. Sarabande - 00:02:44
8.   V. Gigue - 00:01:48
9.   VI. Gavotte en Rondeau - 00:01:14
10.   VII. Chaconne - 00:03:26


Ricercata per Viola Bastarda (more info)
Composed by: Aurelio Virgiliano
Margaret Little, viola


11.   Ricercata per Viola Bastarda - 00:03:52


Ricercata No. 4 (more info)
Composed by: Giovanni Bassano
Margaret Little, viola


12.   Ricercata No. 4 - 00:02:38


The First Part of Ayres (more info)
Composed by: Tobias Hume
Conducted by: Simone Eckert
Margaret Little, viola


13.   A Pavin - 00:05:25
14.   Tickle me quickly - 00:01:09
15.   Touch me lightly - 00:01:25
16.   Good again - 00:05:17


Pieces de viole, Book 3: Suite No. 4 in D major (more info)
Composed by: Marin Marais
Margaret Little, viola


17.   I. Prelude - 00:02:09
18.   II. Fantaisie - 00:01:18
19.   III. Allemande - 00:03:14
20.   IV. Courante - 00:02:13
21.   V. Sarabande - 00:02:21
22.   VI. Gigue - 00:02:04
23.   VII. Chaconne - 00:06:50

Reviews

Subtle beauties (Jun 5, 2010)
Reviewer:Craig Zeichner
I’ve never heard a bad recording involving viola da gambist Margaret Little. If you care anything about early music you will know her from a steady stream of excellent recordings she has made with a number of Montréal-based ensembles including Studio de Musique ancienne dé Montréal, Les Boréades and others for the ATMA Classique label. She’s probably best known as one half (with gambist Susie... I’ve never heard a bad recording involving viola da gambist Margaret Little. If you care anything about early music you will know her from a steady stream of excellent recordings she has made with a number of Montréal-based ensembles including Studio de Musique ancienne dé Montréal, Les Boréades and others for the ATMA Classique label. She’s probably best known as one half (with gambist Susie Napper) of the superb duo Les Voix humaines. On Senza Continuo Little goes solo in a program of French, Italian and English music from the renaissance and early baroque.

There are few instruments with as much expressive power and pure tonal beauty as the viola da gamba and since it could play both melody and harmony, there is some fine solo repertoire for the instrument. Little has chosen some real beauties for this recording. As would be expected there’s music by two French composers closely associated with the instrument: Jean De Sainte-Colombe and Marin Marais. Napper and Little have recorded Sainte-Colombe’s seminal Concerts á deux violes égales, so it’s especially pleasing to hear her in three of his solo works (he wrote nearly 177 solo works for the gamba). This is music that pushes the instrument (and soloist) to expressive and technical limits and Little excels. Little also makes the most of the pieces by Marais which were apparently intended to be played with basso continuo (the continuo parts were delayed at Marais’ printer) but played solo here. The Italian music – ricercars by Aurelio Virgiliano and Giovanni Bassano – require no small measure of technical flash and once again Little is up to the challenge. In some ways a set of pieces from Tobias Hume’s First Book of Ayres is best of all. Hume was one of the first and finest composers to write for the gamba as a purely solo instrument and the seven dance movements heard here really showcase his best efforts.

As I said earlier, Little has technique aplenty but also an almost preternatural gift for channeling the composer’s thoughts and communicating them through the instrument, for me this was particularly noticeable in the Marais and Hume. The recording quality really captures the natural voice of strings and wood and makes for some of the most intimately realistic sound I’ve heard.
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String Theory (Apr 23, 2010)
Reviewer:Mark H
This is a beautiful collection of solo works for the viola da gamba (or viol), as performed by Margaret Little, in her first solo effort. In case you're not familiar with the instrument, the viola da gamba is a cousin of the lute, and comes in a variety of sizes, from treble to contrabass. It looks like a cello, but has six strings instead of four, and has a different tuning. The CD booklet... This is a beautiful collection of solo works for the viola da gamba (or viol), as performed by Margaret Little, in her first solo effort. In case you're not familiar with the instrument, the viola da gamba is a cousin of the lute, and comes in a variety of sizes, from treble to contrabass. It looks like a cello, but has six strings instead of four, and has a different tuning. The CD booklet covers some of the history of the instrument, along with an overview of the composers that are showcased.

The sound of the viola da gamba in Little's hands is striking. There is a depth and range that surely sets it apart from other stringed instruments, with soaring high notes and resounding bass that jumps dynamically from the speakers. Her approach has a romantic feel, and her connection with the viol shines through, rich in emotion and feeling. The sound quality here is phenomenal, and I dare say this would be an audiophile's delight when showing off an audio system.

My favorite piece on the album is Little's rendering of Tobias Hume's The First Booke Of Ayres, where the viol is not only played with a bow but is also strummed. The piece is sometimes dramatic and at times playful, with titles of movements like Tickle me quickly and Touch me lightly. It's an adventurous piece that ventures outside expectations and makes this recording a must have for lovers of solo string performances. (read more)