Search - Simone Molinaro, Paul O'Dette :: Molinaro: Fantasia/Canzoni E Balli

O'Dette does it again

07/20/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Yet another excellent recording from American lutenist Paul O'Dette. Molinaro, like many of the composers whose music O'Dette has recorded, is fairly obscure. In the hands of a less talented musician, many of these short pieces would fall rather flat - the appeal of this CD is in the delivery rather than the music itself. O'Dette plays with great skill and clarity, and make the listener aware of all the small subtleties of tempo and ornament.Also recommended: "The Royal Lewters" and "Alla Venetiana" (both on Harmonia Mundi)"

An excellent recording and one I love.

Steven Guy | Croydon, South Australia | 01/26/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Needless to say, many will want to hear the Ballo detto il Conte Orlando [the second track of the CD], made famous by Ottorino Respighi in his "Ancient Airs and Dances" suite. Yes, it is a lovely and colourful piece of music, but there is so much else to enjoy on this recording. Simone Molinaro was a first rate composer and he wrote excellent lute music. Some of the pieces in Molinaro's collection are arrangements - the four part Canzone a quattro di Gioseppe Guami [which would have been originally played on cornetts and sackbuts], the famous "Susane un jour" of Orlando di Lasso and the well known "Frais et galliard" by Clemens non Papa [more frequently know by Bassano's and Della Casa's arrangements for solo cornetto, recorded several times by modern cornett virtuosi].



Paul O'Dette is a fine lutenist and the music is well recorded. This CD gives us a vivid impression of music making in Italy around 1600 AD.



I like to listen to this 'cool' CD on warm Summer nights. It contains beautiful tunes, beautiful arrangements of music by signor Simone Molinaro, beautiful playing by signor O'Dette and a beautiful 'ambience'.



This is music I can live with every day and I have listened to this recording very often since I bought it in 2001. If you like the lute and lute music, you're in for a treat if you buy this recording. If you're simply curious, I am sure that you will be very pleasantly surprised by this superb recording.



Nice cover art! All in all, a very classy and sophisticated product!"

Splendid!

Ken Cybulska | New York, NY | 01/08/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Paul O'Dette continues to fulfill his calling magnificently (and the audience gets to reap the reward), for all this outstanding, gilded lute work.



Elegantly performed and presented with excellent studio sound quality/backdrop effect.



Splendid and gentle, festive luteny, perfectly realized.



Five star rated.



Ken Cybulska"