Search - Francois Dufaut, Jacques Gallot :: François Dufault/ Jacques Gallot: Pièces Pour Luth

What Happened To The Two Separate CDs?

Gordon Danis | Eastchester, New York United States | 10/24/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"In 1993, two separate CDs of the lute music of Jacques Gallot and Francois Dufault, respectively, were released on the FNAC label by lutenist Pascal Monteilhet. Since I am a devotee of lute music and French lute music in particular, I have long had these in my possession, along with a third CD of the music of Robert DeVisee played on theorbo, also by Molteilhet.



Now it appears that the Monteilhet Gallot CD (66:18) and the Monteilhet Dufault CD (68:24) have been "combined" onto a single disc. While it was true that the Dufault of Monteilhet contained pieces not on the Hopkinson Smith CD, I will have to take the previous writer at his word that this is still true, since obviously something was trimmed from each disc in order to make them both fit onto one disc.



In comparing the Monteilheit and the Hopkinson Smith CDs, when I hear the Monteilhet Gallot and Dufault presentations, I hear a very fine realization of the music which feels close to what the music originally sounded like when played by the respective composers. When I hear the presentations of the same material by Hopkinson Smith, however, the effect is transforming. Hopkinson Smith is not only closer to the music, in my estimation he IS the music, and to these ears he is the finest player of the lute/theorbo/vihuela/baroque guitar who has ever recorded."

Nice disc, well performed and recorded.

Gary J. Wright | San Francisco, CA United States | 07/06/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"In comparison to the Dufault and Gallot of Hopkinson Smith, Monteilhet's playing is rather laid back. This is not to say the performances are less than very good, and those who have not heard Smith's masterful and more animated versions will surely find the newer recording very satisfying.
Also, some of Monteilhet's pieces are not found in the Smith discs and that will be an added attraction for Dufault admirers.
However, in my view, Smith does remain the finer exponent of this repertoire."