Wild Men of the Seicento
They came from the South, these crazy musicians; from sun-drenched cities in Italy and Spain, and their inspired ideas spread through the continent like wildfire ... These were the musicians of the Seicento - the seventeenth century, arguably the wildest, most experimental period in the history of Western art music; a time when composers broke away entirely from the constrictions of the old style of previous centuries - in which music generally had a religious or social function (sacred choral music, courtly dances) - towards a new, abstract art-form free of boundaries or context. A century of artistic experimentation nowadays consigned to the touchlines of musical history with the dismissive term 'transitional'. Although the great baroque masters who followed have stood the test of time in a way that the madcap musicians of the Seicento would never achieve, the music of these early trailblazers can still infuse us today with the thrill of the unexpected. Fast forward several centuries and a new pair of crazed musicians - Piers Adams and David Wright - embark on a journey of discovery through the wild side of the baroque era with some truly extraordinary music by little known seventeenth century masters such as Biber, Van Eyck, Castello, Fontana and Pandolfi. Adams is the modern day wild man of the recorder, with a steadfast refusal to accept the natural limitations of his instrument. Wright - once known as the hard man of the harpsichord, was largely self-taught until gaining a scholarship to the Royal College of Music, where he won several prizes and developed a love of all things baroque. Piers Adams and David Wright spend much of their time on the road with the baroque super group, Red Priest, which visits America several times each year as well as touring throughout Europe and the Far East. Red Priest Records will release Piers Adams and David Wright's new disc, RP013, on 4 March 2016. It features: Biber: Sonata No 3; Uccellini: Sonata Nona; Falconieri: Dance Suite; D'Anglebert: Prelude in G minor for harpsichord; Pandolfi Mealli: Sonata 'La Cesta'; Van Eyck: Boffons; John Bull: Fantasia in D minor for harpsichord; Salaverde: Canzona Seconda; John Bull: Fantasia in A minor for harpsichord; Castello: Sonata Seconda; and Corelli: Sonata in C, Op 5 No 3.
Information: www.redpriest.com
Posted: 6 January 2016
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