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  Amidst the Winter Snows

  Although many of today's favorite Christmas carol melodies were composed during the medieval era, the majority of carols heard on this recording were composed in more recent times. None the less, Christmas carols seem well suited to the delicate sound characteristic of the Renaissance lute. This recording is sure to please those looking for a soft, subtle, and intimate accompaniment to their celebration of the (usually hectic) Holiday Season. Phillip Rukavina has performed nationally and internationally as a lute and vihuela soloist, ensemble performer, and as a continuo lutenist. He regularly teaches on the faculty of the Lute Society of America's Seminars. He has released two solo recordings on the Studio395 label, including Fiori Italiani and Ala spagnola. Phillip plays the bass lute with the Venere Lute Quartet. Phillip has been a frequent guest instrumentalist with the Rose Ensemble and appears on their CD release, Celebremos el Niño and An American Christmas. He has appeared with many instrumental ensembles, including the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra and the New World Symphony.

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  Music for the Guitar

  Joaquin Turina's (1882-1949) Sonata, Op. 61 is his longest work for solo guitar. The style of the music is a mixture of Impressionism and Andalusian inspired melodies. The music is very episodic with many abrupt mood shifts ranging from eloquently beautiful melodies to energetic flamenco flourishes. Listen for the reappearance of material from the first movement in the final movement. J.S. Bach's (1685-1750) Prelude for Lute, BWV 999 is reminiscent of many of his preludes from The Well Tempered Clavier in that it contains an arpeggio pattern repeated over changing harmony. This style of writing, known as style brise (broken style), was developed by lutenists to make up for their instrument's lack of sustain. Listen for the top note of the arpeggio to form a melody throughout sections of the piece. The Siciliana from Bach's Violin Sonata No. 1, BWV 1001 forms a contrast with the Prelude for Lute in both mood and texture, it is basically a love song in three voices. Listen here for the main melody to alternate between the outer parts. The Preludio, Gavotte and Gigue are three of the five pieces in Manuel Ponce's Suite in A minor. These pieces are a pastiche originally attributed to the lutenist Sylvius Leopold Weiss (1686-1750) as both a practical joke and a convenient way for the great guitarist Andres Segovia, for whom they where written, to enlarge his Baroque repertoire without having to research manuscripts in dusty old libraries. The Preludio is written to sound as if it is being improvised by the performer. The Gavotte is a flowing piece that takes a sojourn into the key of A major, while the Gigue displays a driving intensity. The Sixieme Fantaisie: Les Adieux! Op. 21 (Sixth Fantasy: The Farewells! Op. 21) by Fernando Sor was most likely composed in London around 1815 but was published in Paris in 1825. A Fantasy is a free-form composition with elements that suggest the performer is improvising. This particular piece takes the listener through a number musical moods and textures, from it's somber beginning the piece slowly builds in intensity and excitement to it's ending climax. Sor, a Spanish expatriate, lived abroad for the latter half of his life, forced to leave Spain after the fall of Napoleon's armies in which he served. It is possible that the title reflects aspects of his departure from his homeland. Luis de Narváez' (c.1500-1560) Cancion del Emperador (Song of the Emperor) is actually based on Josquin Desprez's (c.1440-1521), vocal composition Mille Regretz (A Thousand Regrets). It was common practice for vihuela, Spain's version of the Lute, composers to set popular songs of the day for their instrument. This is primarily how the tradition of playing solo instrumental music was begun. Supposedly the favorite song of the Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V, Narváez named his version The Emperor's Song in homage. A translation of the original text reads "A thousand regrets in leaving you and going far from your loving face. I have great grief and grievous pain, so that soon people will see me end my days." (Translation: William Paden) This piece exemplifies the guitar's ability to handle multi voice textures and, as can be expected, the music reflects the deep sentiment of the lyric. Three Airs of Court by Guido Santorsola (1904-1994) was published in 1966 and stems from the composer's affinity for the music of J.S. Bach. Here we have three movements that blend modern composition with a classical structure. The Preludio with it's eerie introduction unfolds into a beautiful tapestry that includes tremolo, cascading effects and contrapuntal textures. The lyrical Aria includes a section where the bass notes are marked Pizzicato (muted with the right hand palm) while the melody is played natural, creating a distinct separation between the voices. And the brilliant Finale (Giga) dances across the guitar's fingerboard thus bringing the CD to a dramatic conclusion. I sincerely hope that you enjoy listening to this, my first recoding. I'd like to dedicate this recording to my parents Hugh and Janet Enloe with much love and appreciation. - Luther Enloe May 25, 2003 A big thanks to Jonathan and Jennifer Adams of Montana Skies. Thanks also to Victoria Enloe, Hugh Enloe, Janet Enloe, James Enloe and John Sutherland. Produced by Luther Enloe & Jonathan Adams Engineered and mixed by Jonathan Adams Guitar: 2001 Kenny Hill, Munich model Photos and text editing by Victoria Enloe.

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  Lute Legends: Ancient Airs from East and West

  This CD was generously funded by an artist development grant from the Ontario Arts Council. Recorded February 2008, St. John Chrysostom Catholic Church (Newmarket, ON) Recording engineer & producer: Norbert Kraft Digital Editing: Lucas Harris Booklet design: Rose Zhao Photography: Terry Williams 13-course Baroque lute after Jauch (Michael Schreiner, 2006) 13-course Baroque lute after Frei (Michael Schreiner, 2001): tracks 3&4 Lucas Harris began his musical life as a jazz guitarist in his hometown of Phoenix, Arizona. After graduating summa cum laude from Pomona College, he studied for a year in Milan, Italy as one of the first Marco Fodella Foundation scholars and then at the Hochschule für Künste Bremen. Lucas now keeps a busy schedule as a continuo player for dozens of Baroque ensembles across North America. He is the regular lutenist with the Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra, and has been living in Toronto since early 2004. Lucas is a regular on the faculty for the Oberlin Conservatory's Baroque Performance Institute and the Tafelmusik Baroque Summer Institute, and has also taught for Amherst Early Music, the International Baroque Institute at Longy, and the New York Continuo Collective. He is a founder of the Toronto Continuo Collective, a weekly class and performing 'pluck band' dedicated to the art of seventeenth-century accompaniment. Beyond continuo work, recent solo and directing projects include a concerto program for CBC radio's Young Artist Series, a recital for the Minnesota Guitar Society, a production of Cavalli's La Calisto at Ohio State University, and a program with the Pacific Baroque Orchestra in Vancouver. Lucas was praised for his work with Les voix humaines in Montréal: "The revelation of the concert was the Torontonian lutenist Lucas Harris, who weaved a poetic thread through his infinitely subtle interventions. The sweetness and patience of his playing . . . was astonishing." (Le Devoir) Wen Zhao is an internationally acclaimed pipa virtuoso, a sensitive and lyrical performer. Born in Beijing, she began to study the pipa at the age of seven, eventually completing her university study with the renowned pipa master Wang Fan Di. After winning the first prize at Beijing Youth National Instrument Competition in 1995, Wen continued her musical career in England, performing and teaching Chinese music throughout the U.K. Wen lives in Toronto since 1997, and teaches pipa at both the Royal Conservatory of Music and York University in Toronto. Zhao has appeared at major ethnic music festivals worldwide, including those in China, Switzerland, the U.K., Canada, and the U.S. These appearances deeply impressed the audience and were highly acclaimed by the media: BBC TV, CBC TV, CBC radio and OMNI TV have all broadcasted her solo performances. The Toronto Star and several Chinese media groups have interviewed her to showcase her masterful pipa playing. Beyond her work as a soloist, Zhao has collaborated with some world's top Western ensembles, including Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra, London Grand Union Orchestra, and the Accordes String Quartet. She is especially honoured to be one of the featured musicians for the CBC award-winning documentary film The Four Seasons Mosaic. The Duo Wen and Lucas met through the many performances of 'The Four Seasons: A Cycle of the Sun,' a Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra concert/touring program and CBC documentary designed by Tafelmusik bassist Alison Mackay which juxtaposes Vivaldi's famous concerto cycle with other eighteenth-century music about nature from three non-European traditions. This program has toured Canada, the United States, and China. The two decided to embark on a project that would juxtapose the traditions of European and Chinese lute performance: both the many similarities (their common ancestor from the Middle East, their noble social status, their similar shape and design, and that both have a very ancient history and a strong body of surviving repertoire from the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries) as well as their differences (especially the astonishing capacity of the pipa's four simple strings for melodic shape, color, and descriptive textures versus the lute's tradition of counterpoint and harmony, supported by many pairs of double courses of strings including deep bass notes). The two have performed duet arrangements in several Toronto venues: on the 'Musically Speaking' series at Trinity Church, the Toronto Harbourfront Music Garden series, and at the Music Gallery in a recital sponsored by Baroque Music Beside the Grange and the Chinese Artists' Society of Toronto. They also performed in China at the Beijing Natural History Museum and the Shanghai Science and Technology Museum. They also created the duo program 'Lettres chinoises' which was performed at the Montreal Baroque Festival in July 2008.

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  High Tea: Relais Resorts & Grande Hotels

  Guitarist, Author, Recording Artist, Entertainer, Lutenist 'To discover a guitarist who can win such praise for his command of the classics is rare, to discover a performer winning the same acclaim for his fresh and unique interpretation of today's music, is truly exceptional.' The career of E. James Kalal is exceptional. His multifaceted talent flows into many dimensions of music. James Kalal has a global following of appreciative aficionados who enjoy and love his many diverse recordings. Mel Bay Publishing of St. Louis, Missouri, world renowned for high-tech digital innovations in publishing (video, CD-ROM, etc.) commissioned Kalal as an author to write companion scores to his recordings for international distribution. To date, Kalal has authorship of the following books: A Renaissance Christmas (Original Title: Christmas Music for the Guitar from the 16th & 17th Centuries), Melodies of Spain for Acoustic Guitar, and Yuletide Gathering. He has serenaded listeners in romantic respites along the loose path of the fabled Orient Express. His melodies of the Occidental journey evokes images ranging from whirling dervishes of Istanbul to the Romantic Road of Germany. He has enchanted listeners in the English Cotswolds (Lygon Arms, Broadway, UK) the charming Goldener Hirsch setting for the film Sound of Music/Salzburg, Austria, the legendary Harry's/Venice, Italy, the Ancient San Francisco Parador/Granada, Spain. James Kalal's performing venue's in France included three contrasting regions: the Rhone-Alps: L' Abbaye de Talloires, a 9th century monastery (now hotel) in the French historic village of Talloires on Lac d'Annecy, the Cote d' Azur the quaint fishing village of Giens on the Mediterranean Sea, Provonce at Saint Remy, Hotel Domaine De Valmouriani. On the 25th of February, James Kalal will perform at the Menendez Festival in St. Augustine, Florida, attended by Juan Carlos and his wife Sofia, the King and Queen of Spain.

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  Ala Spagnola

  Composers in Renaissance Spain created much of their music for an instrument little known today called the vihuela da mano (viol of the hand). For reasons that are not entirely clear, the Spanish preferred the vihuela over the lute, even though the lute was by far the most popular plucked-string instrument in the rest of Europe during the Renaissance era. The extant repertoire for the vihuela includes seven printed books of vihuela music which contain approximately 50% of the music printed in Spain during the entire 16th century. And, while the sheer quantity of music attests to it's popularity, the quality of the music composed for the instrument proves that the vihuela was considered the instrument par excellence for the performance of the most refined instrumental music and accompanied song. Spain's most gifted vihuelistas, including Luys Milan, Alonso Mudarra, Miguel de Fuenllana, and Luys Narvaéz, were all virtuosos on the instrument and each composed at least one book of music for the vihuela, some of which is recorded here. Throughout most of the 16th century, Spain stood at the center of political and economic power in Europe. Spain was in many ways the cultural center of Renaissance Europe as well, a fact often neglected in modern history books. This is especially the case if one recalls that the Netherlands, the Low Countries, and the Kingdom of Naples all stood within the great sweep of Spain's dominions during the Siglio de oro. This was the great "Golden Age" of Renaissance Spain and music for the vihuela da mano shares the artistic stage of with the likes of "El Greco" and the great Spanish poet Miguel de Cervantes. While generally favoring the lute throughout the 16th century, composers in Italy occasionally called for the use of an instrumentwhich was very similar, if not identical, to the Spanish vihuela, called the viola da mano. From the very first, publications of Renaissance lute music in Italy regularly included pieces ala spagnola, or in the 'Spanish style.' One example, the Calata ala spagnola heard on this recording, is only one of several dance pieces ala spagnola in Joanambrosio Dalza's Intabolatura de leuto...Libro quarto (1508). In addition, there are dozens of compositions built upon a popular Spanish melody known as la spagna, which appear in countless collections of Italian lute music. Phillip Rukavina (vihuela da mano) studied lute with Hopkinson Smith at the Academie Musical in Villecroze, France and in Basel, Switzerland with a generous grant from the Jerome Foundation. He received a second grant from the Jerome Foundation in 2004. Phillip is a founding member of the Venere Lute Quartet, which has performed nationwide and recently in Milan, Italy (2006). The ensemble has released two CDs on the Lute Society of America label, including Sweet Division (2003), and Palestrina's Lute (2006). Phillip is a frequent guest lutenist with the Rose Ensemble, appearing on the ensemble's recent CD release Celebremos el Niño (2005)and An American Christmas (2008).

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  Earth Speaks

  This is multi-layered, transcendent music composed in collaboration with animal helpers and the spirits of Nature. It was created to relax, focus, tune in and deepen your connection with your fellow species. Recover the true spirit of ecological awareness, and attune to the language, message, and heart of the Earth. Interwoven with sounds of nature, the music invites entrancement until you hear the Earth itself and all her creatures speak to you. Descriptions of each track follow these Testimonials: "So wonderful and so unique!! Your music is so distinctive and mood and image evoking. Your images and the transference of the images to instrumental music and non-instrumental sounds are awesomely creative. " - Bunny Beck, jazz pianist and composer (New York City) "Very alluring and complementing" - Sandy Dierks, co-producer of U.S. National Park Service film Coming Home-The Life Cycles of Coho Salmon and Steelhead Trout, which includes selections from The Earth Speaks. "Rich and very soothing. Creates a peaceful atmosphere instantly. Has a profoundly reflective quality." - Debra Evans, San Francisco Whole Life Expo Program Director "Just gorgeous...Musical refinement" - Constance Demby, New Age contemporary classical composer "Engaging at a very interesting level. You are so present in the music, as is the Earth. Thank you for making this available to us." - Julie Soquet, Shamanic Counselor "It really opens up the heart" - Amy Cooper, senior yoga teacher and therapist "Very relaxing" - Assunta Chytry, Music Buyer for Open Secret (metaphysical) Books, Music, & World Art Gallery, San Rafael, California "Quite a gorgeous work. I like it a lot." - David Spelman, classical music publicist, New York City "Your playing is so joyful, and the pieces offer such a rich and complex feast for the ear and the soul. Thank you for creating such a wonderful pathway to connect with nature." - Rae Ramsey, New York City "Michel Sherman has shown us that the lute has come a long way into the modern age. From now on, we can acknowledge that the lute is no longer only for old music. Michel blends old and new musical ideas in a new and startling way. He is a pioneer in the use of the lute for music of all ages." - Stanley Buetens, Lutenist and Publisher, Instrumenta Antiqua Publications "I really enjoyed it. It's great music." - Grant Tomlinson, Lute Maker "Great Tai Chi music" - Jane Hallander, Founder & Director, Marin Tai Chi Center, California "Perfect for massage" - Terri Elaine Prince, Certified Massage Therapist "Beautifully performed, recorded and packaged - a proper platform for your expressive work" - Dave Brast, classical and flamenco guitarist "Has quickly become a favorite of mine. I love to play it at night before bed when I want to shed the day's history and enter dreamtime." - Nan Moon, Management Consultant "I enjoy the whole, deeply felt concept. You play wonderfully, with clarity and cleanness. Your compositions are rich." - Rosey Bock, Musicologist "Very, very good and deserves to be heard." - Kathy Geisler, Well-Tempered Productions, Berkeley, California "Thank you so much, it is wonderful music, romantic and full of meditation. All the best and much success." - Ralf Bauer, Musikschule Metronom, Bonn, Germany -------------------------------------------------------------- The tracks: 1) The Earth Speaks Instrumental played on a Renaissance lute, with sound of thunder. The pain of pollution. The yearning to breathe fresh air and drink pure water. The Big Cleansing. The Earth is alive, nurturing all who dwell on, within, and above her body. Listening to the Earth, we heal and rediscover a balanced relationship with all life. 2) Longing for the Ocean Instrumental played on a Renaissance lute, with sound of surf. It's where we first met. Now, so far away, we long to be close to the ocean again. 3) Dance of the Water Sprites Instrumental played on a Renaissance lute. Sunlight dissolving in bubbling cascades. Water sprites dancing pure joy. Let's dance! 4) Igor's Waltz with the Flies Instrumental played on a Renaissance lute. Wizardlike, Igor was an anole lizard who gazed with ancient reptile wisdom into the people who came to him. He taught us about the loving relationship of predator and prey as he communicated, stalked, and danced with the insects that gave him life. 5) Enter Dragons' Realm Instrumental played on a classical guitar, with sound of wind. Suspense and wonderment as you enter and explore the dragons' realm. Follow the trail up the mountain, along the rocks of many colors. The magnetic power of the cool, deep caves above draws you through sparkling shafts of light. 6) Fingers of the Mist Instrumental played on a classical guitar. Tenderness and bliss. The chameleon mist...rearranging form and color...beckoning our love. 7) Angel Birds Instrumental played on a Renaissance lute, with sound of wood thrush. Where do birds come from, and where can they take you? Listen and follow. Spirits soaring. 8) Lost Caverns of the Soul Instrumental played on a classical guitar, with sounds of wind, eagle, and hawk. Suspenseful throughout. Searching for meaning and reconnection to a peaceful state of spirit. Feel the essence of life in dark and light, mysterious havens. 9) Music of the Mountains Instrumental played on a classical guitar, with sounds of bell and chimes. Dream of a Tibetan mountaintop where monks pray and vultures soar. Breathe the rarified atmosphere, a portal to the gods. 10) The Magic Garden Instrumental played on a classical guitar, with sounds of orioles. The garden seeds inspiration and becomes the whole world. Blissful cooperation of the plants and animals. A happy and magical union. 11) Birds' Call to Prayer Instrumental played on a Renaissance lute, with sounds of bell and nightingale. The bell rings and the nightingale sings, calling all creatures of earth and air in prayers of thanksgiving for the beauty and peace all around and within. 12) Rana, Queen of the Heavens Instrumental played on a Renaissance lute. Rana was an Afghan hound companion whose name came from a past life as a queen in India. Quiet and graceful, she emanated ripened sensitivity. On a calm winter solstice, she left her form and stretched skyward in an arc from east to west, surrounded by a constellation of angels. 13) Chrysalis Instrumental played on a Renaissance lute. Transformation, evolution, new creations, new lives, new universes. The sadness of letting go and dying. Nostalgia. Delight and hope in The New. 14) Water Temples Instrumental played on a Renaissance lute, with sound of waterfall. Neptune calls us far below the ocean surface where we float through water temples of the deep. Liquid heaven. 15) Into the Eye of the Tiger Instrumental played on a classical guitar, opening with sound of tiger. Race with the tiger into the eternal enigma of being. Finish with blissful sleep. 16) Interdimensional Avenues Instrumental played on a Renaissance lute, with some synthesizer sound to simulate Earth moving through space, owl, crickets, frogs. The piece is my impressions of mystic spirit and parallel worlds. Follow the dragonfly along the pathways to that which underlies all form. 17) Ocean Walking Instrumental played on a Renaissance lute, with sounds of surf and seagulls. Immersed in enchanted freedom, we walk on the waves. 18) Sacred Harmony Among All Species Instrumental played on a Renaissance lute, with sounds of whales, eagle, and wolf. The vast realm far below the surface of physical form. Deep within the rhythms of life on Earth, eternal harmony sings.

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  What Thing Is Love English Lute Songs

  CD REVIEW: What Thing Is Love, Peregrine Records ....'I enjoyed it immensely. Amy's is a lovely natural voice, suitably sexy for the sentiments...fine lute playing.... it is a fascinating program...you can purchase single tracks on the internet but I'd rather get the whole CD: it's too good just to select a few tracks.... highly recommended...' - Clifford Bartlett, Editor, Early Music Review, UK '... One of my absolute favourite recordings that I use for High End speaker demonstrations is "What Thing Is Love". It is an excellent recording using varied acoustics and technical combinations with a superb performance from artists of the highest quality in this genre. I strongly recommend it...." -Percy Davidsson, Canseda AB, Scandinavian rep for Onkyo, Sonance, Canton Amy Elizabeth Wheeler REVIEW: Rural Renaissance Festival '...[Wheeler's] voice was a joy to hear...something in her seems to resonate easily with the period, making the music not only exquisite but somehow authentic...' -The Recorder, Greenfield, MA USA BIOS: Amy Elizabeth Wheeler, Soprano: Raised in New York City, Amy Elizabeth Wheeler graduated from the Fiorello LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and from the Manhattan School of Music. Her career, which began with club dates in New York as a singer/songwriter, followed by the film Fame and a European tour of the Broadway musical Hair, has since led her to the Warsaw Chamber Opera in Poland where her debut as Fauno in Mozart's Ascanio in Alba was greeted with a standing ovation. More Mozart roles followed - even the coveted mezzo-soprano role of Cherubino in 'The marriage of Figaro'. She quickly became a popular guest artist in Poland appearing on television and radio and performing with Polish orchestras at international music festivals such as Madrid Mozart Festival, Le Festival d'Europe Nord in Paris, and the 49th International Chopin Festival. As a developing concert artist and ensemble leader in her own right, she organized the Peregrine Consort with musicians from the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, Warsaw Philharmonic, Concerto Copenhagen and the Drottningholm Court Theater. They performed in the International Wratislavia Cantans Festival, Bach Celebration 2000 (Royal Castle Warsaw) and the prestigious 100th Anniversary season of Poland's National Philharmonic. Highlights from concerts include Baldessare Galuppi's motet 'Confitebor tibi Domine', staged versions of Alessandro Scarlatti's serenata 'A battaglia pensieri', and Handel's 'Amarilli Vezzosa' as well as English renaissance songs and duets for soprano and bass. Amy Elizabeth's voice, while classically trained, is rooted in the folk/jazz tradition making her vocal style intimate and accessible to listeners with different musical tastes. Her style and expression were clearly evident in her performances as Cupid in the WCO's production of John Blow's 'Venus and Adonis' which attracted the attention of Poland's leading renaissance lutenist, Jaroslaw Lipski. They have since recorded a CD of English lute songs titled 'What Thing Is Love' and have performed sold-out concerts at every major early music festival Poland as well as receiving a standing ovation for their performance at Poland's National Philharmonic. Archguitartist Peter Blanchette found Amy Elizabeth's synthesis of styles perfect for two of his CD's: 800 Years (Archguitar Records 2001), which featured versions of Mark Knopfler's 'Ironhand' and Irving Berlin's 'Reaching for the moon', and Una Limosa (Archguitar Records 2001) on which she sang Schubert's 'Der Jungling an der Quell'. Amy and Peter received critical acclaim for their concert presented by The Rural Renaissance Festival where they performed music by John Dowland and Nino Rota together with Peter's ensemble the Virtual Consort. While still in high school, Amy worked with producer John Robie (who wrote the club classic 'Planet Rock'),and recorded vocals on "Yashar" (Cabaret Voltaire, Factory Records, 1982) and "City of Wonder" (Island Records, 1989). In 2007, Wheeler & Robie released a club version of the Christmas carol "God rest ye merry gentlemen" and plan to continue their collaboration on future club versions of PD Christmas carols. Amy Elizabeth collaborates regularly with Swedish contemporary composer Jan Alm, who invited her to perform the Swedish premier of his songs scored for voice, harp, piano and string quartet and set to the poems of Nobel laureate Harry Martinson. Joining her were members of the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, and the concert presented by the Gothenburg Konserthus. A repeat performance of the songs was made in a program arranged by Amy Elizabeth titled 'Scandinaviana' which featured vocal and chamber music by Grieg, Sibelius, Stenhammar and Nielsen, presented by Poland's National Philharmonic to inaugurate their newly renovated chamber hall, Sala Kamerlana. In 2000, Amy Elizabeth was a recipient of The Fund, a Rockefellar/Kennedy Foundation award for her work as a U.S. artist performing in international festivals, and, in 2004 she received a Delmas Foundation Award, supporting her research on the 18th century Venetian composer Baldessare Galuppi. Jaroslaw Lipski, Renaissance Lute and Theorbo: Jarolsaw Lipski graduated from the Academy of Music in Warsaw, Poland, with a degree in classical guitar, and received a diploma from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, where he won the 'Principle's Prize.' He studied classical guitar with Gerald Lee and Robert Brightmore, and the lute with Nigel North at Guildhall and at the Summer Academy for Early Music at Innsbruck, Austria. Mr. Lipski has regularly appeared in concerts as solo guitarist in Poland and Great Britain and frequently participates in early music festivals in Poland as a lutenist. He has collaborated since 1996 with The Warsaw Chamber Opera, performing operas by Monteverdi (Vespro della Beata Vergine), St. Landi (Il St. Alessio), and Purcell (Dido and Aeneas). He has also worked with early music groups such as Ars Nova, Lege Artis, Collegio Antico, and The Peregrine Consort. His repertoire focuses primarily on music of 16th -century Poland, 16th & 17th-century England, however in 2002, he organized Concerto Vago, a group devoted to performing Spanish music from the time of Columbus featuring works by Alonso Mudarra, Diego Ortiz, Juan del Encina, and Juan de Anchieta. Mr. Lipski has regularly conducted master classes at the Zywiez Early Music Festival in Poland, and he is the author of The Classical Guitar (Warsaw, Poland: Polskie Wydawnicwo Muzycznie, 2002). His recordings include: 16th Century European Songs and Dances and Music of the Polish Renaissance ( DUX Records) The Music of King Sigmund (Arche Records) Psalms of M. Gomloka (Polish Radio).

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  Klassische Gitarre 2

  With his 2 CD album 'Klassische Gitarre 2' (2013) the German guitarist Arne Willems presents works from the renaissance up to the 20th century. Disc 1 - classical music for guitar. Works by J. Dowland S. L. Weiss,M. M. Ponce, A. Barrios, and C. Franck This recording is a leading example of the art of guitar playing in the 21st century. Arne Willems´s playing is effortless and always dedicated to the music. His interpretations are based on his studies in music at the prestigious Musikhochschule Cologne and Dusseldorf in Germany. Because of that this recording definitely has a high cultural value. CD1 contains one beautiful duo piece, featuring guitarist Chih-Hsien Tseng from Taiwan. Disc 2: guitar and vocals. The British composer and lutenist John Dowland (1591-1641) wrote the most famouse songs of his time. Three of his songs are a special addition to this fine two CD set. The music by Dowland was not written for the guitar originally. It was necessary to transpose the lute tabulature to the classical guitar. Arne Willems primarily focused on music but also transposed the pieces as close as possible to the original. To maintain a sound that is similar to the lute sound he used strings, that have a higher tension and can bring a brighter sound to the beautiful pieces. Guitar: Antonio Marin - build in 1983, Madrid / Spain. Soprano: Johanna Mühlinghaus from Cologne / Germany. She sings with a wide range of colors and emotions that fit perfectly to the unique kind of sadness in renaissance compositions. About Arne Willems: Arne Willems, born in 1980, recieved his first guitar lessons at the age of seven. 1996 he had won the first price in a popular youth competition. From 2001 to 2005 he studied at Musikhochschule Cologne and graduated with highest marks. 2006 to 2009 he did his Master degree at Robert Schumann Hochschule in Düsseldorf with the international known guitarist Prof. Alexander Sergei Ramirez. 2008 he won the first price at the Yehudi Menuhin competition in Düsseldorf (Germany). 2010-2011 he studied with the Canadian guitarist Prof. Dale Kavanagh (Canada) Concerts brought him to the USA, Asia and Brasil. Annual he performs in masterclasses around the globe. There he studies the art of interpretation with names like Sergio Assad, Roberto Aussel, Manuel Barrueco, Carlo Domeniconi, Zoran Dukic, Eliot Fisk, Dale Kavanagh, Carlo Marchione, Fabio Zanon, Marcin Dylla, Konrad Ragossnig, Angel & Pepe Romero, Hubert Käppel and David Russell. Arne Willems is highly dedicated to the art of teaching in music schools of North Rhine-Westphalia, where he lives. More CD´s from 'Willems-Music': 2010 'Klassische Gitarre', (1 CD) 2013 'Klassische Gitarre 2' (2 CD-Box)

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  Fiori Italiani

  During the Renaissance in Italy, solo music for the lute was considered one of the most refined expressions of the musical arts. Virtuoso players and composers for this instrument were often considered state, or even national treasures. For example, several of the pieces on this recording are by the Italian lutenist/composer Francesco da Milano (1486-1534). Known as 'Il divino' in his own lifetime, Francesco captured a sense of musical balance and proportion in his fantasias and ricercares, which is mirrored in the artwork of contemporary painters, such as Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Raphael. From almost out of nowhere, lute tablature (a system of musical notation specific to the lute) seems to have sprung fully formed from the Renaissance presses of the Venetian printer Ottaviano Petrucci. Prior to Petrucci's lute publications from the first years of the 16th-century, only fragments of lute tablature remain. A true musical connoisseur, Petrucci published works by northern Italy's finest lutenists, including Francesco Spinacino and Joan Ambrosio Dalza, both heard on this recording. Included on this recording is music from the Vincenzo Capirola Lute Book,an Italian manuscript compiled around 1517. Capirola was an Italian lute virtuoso of great renown, whose music is set stylistically between the first polyphonic lute compositions published by Petrucci and the music of Francesco da Milano and his circle composing in the 1520's and 30's. The Capirola collection is one of the earliest manuscript sources of music for the solo Renaissance lute and the manuscript is itself a visual work of art. Filled with colorful forest animals and country folk penned about the borders of each page, the artist Vidal was a practical soul who notes in the he preface of the book, '...I have adorned [the manuscript] with such noble paintings, so that if it should be owned by somebody with no knowledge in [the musical field], he would keep it for the beauty of the pictures...' Almost nothing is known of the life of the 16th century lutenist and composer Giovanni Maria da Crema. His solo lute music is of a very high quality and his stature as a lutenist must surely have been significant in his own day. His work appears in two mid-sixteenth century prints that include music by Francesco Il divino. Of the lutenist/composers represented on this recording, Francesco da Milano is surely the most eminent, though all of these diversi autori enjoyed great renown during their lifetimes. P.R. January 2003 Phillip Rukavina has performed widely as a lute and vihuela soloist, ensemble performer, and as a continuo lutenist. He studied lute with Hopkinson Smith at the Academie Musical in Villecroze, France and in Basel, Switzerland. He regularly teaches on the faculty of the Lute Society of America's summer seminars in Cleveland, Ohio and directed the event in 2008. He has released two solo recordings on the Studio395 label. Phillip is a founding member of the Venere Lute Quartet. He is a frequent guest instrumentalist with the Rose Ensemble and with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra.

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  A Fancy-Werke für Laute

  The first notes of the descending chromatic theme break the silence and it seems as if time has stopped. The listener is drawn into the world of John Dowland, the greatest lutenist of all, in a journey through multiple shades of melancholy and lucent hope.

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  • Price: 19.35 EUR excl. shipping

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