Search - Scheidt, Wilson, Musica Fiata :: Samuel Scheidt: Ludi Musici

How Could You Not Love This Music?

J Scott Morrison | Middlebury VT, USA | 01/14/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Samuel Scheidt (1587-1654) lived about a hundred years before Bach, was a contemporary of Praetorius (whose music his resembles), studied with, among others, Sweelinck, and spent most of his life in Halle, just southwest of Berlin. (I well remember back in a college music course being told about the 'three S's: Scheidt, Schein and Schütz'!)



On this disc we are given some of his absolutely delightful instrumental works from the 1621 collection called 'Ludi Musici' ('Musical Amusements'); he published four volumes but only the first volume is extant, alas. The works on this CD comprise four canzonas (including one based on a then-popular English tune 'O neighbor Roland' familiar now from Byrd's virginal piece, 'Rowland, or Lord Willoughby's Welcome Home') and a total of thirteen dances (courants, paduas, galliards, allemands and intradas). They do not comprise a suite per se but rather simply a collection of pieces that can be played singly or in any combination. They are all for an ensemble made up of cornetts, trumpets and sackbuts supported by small organ, theorbo or guitar, and percussion. The music is simple in harmony and construction and is generally homophonic, lively, and charmingly tuneful.



Les Saqueboutiers (earlier called 'Les Saqueboutiers de Toulouse') is a period instruments group that has now been around for over twenty-five years. They have recorded a great deal, usually in combination with other musicians -- the first recording of theirs that I recall is a marvelous Monteverdi 'Vespro della beata vergine' along with the Chapelle Royale under Philippe Herreweghe. They also recorded a wonderful Schütz 'Seven Words of Christ from the Cross' with the Ensemble Clément Janequin under Dominique Visse. Their music-making is always crisp, in tune (hallelujah!) and spirited. I honestly believe than anyone hearing the present CD would immediately be charmed, as I was, and want to hear it all over again. It's that good.



Heartily recommended.



Scott Morrison"

Corrections and impressions

Peter Besenbruch | 10/30/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Some corrections:



The ensemble's name is "Musica Fiata," not "Musica Ficta," as it states in Amazon's content listing for this CD. It also isn't "Les Saqueboutiers," as stated in J Scott Morrison's review. Also, many of the pieces Morrison speaks of aren't on this album. In short, I don't think Morrison's review belongs here.



My impressions of this album: The recording quality is decent but not great. The violin and viol playing are OK, but there are better examples out there. The cornetto playing, on the other hand is quite good. Toss in organs, regals, and archlutes, and you get a wonderful tapestry of sound.



Also good is director Roland Wilson's attempt to reconstruct pieces from the incomplete books 2-4 of the Ludi Musici, pieces I assume haven't been heard since Scheidt's day."