This solid effort from lutenist Axel Wolf features the soloist performing three of J.S. Bach’s works on a 14-course instrument. The playing features crisp, clean lines, phrasing that’s often over-mannered (the fussy fast section of the G minor suite’s Prelude never gains momentum), sharp articulation that at times borders on aggressive, and an affinity for this lute’s extreme bass register. Although these works often are performed on guitar in various arrangements and transpositions designed to provide a playable remedy for Bach’s inherently problematic scoring, those renditions lack the full-color richness provided by the archlute’s additional courses of open, resonating strings and deeper-voiced body. Wolf tackles these challenging pieces with as purist an approach as possible, staying close to the original keys but choosing to tune at lower than standard pitch. While his introspective style works well in the slow movements, the faster ones don’t flow; Wolf seems averse even to an attempt at legato or a steady pulse. I used Lutz Kirchhof’s performances (two discs on Sony) for comparison, and I still prefer his un-selfconscious, articulate, supremely musical interpretations to these, respectful and appealing though they are.
The sound here is extremely close, and Wolf’s instrument seems absolutely huge. Consequently, there’s more extraneous noise than some listeners will appreciate–and it’s not only from the player’s fingers. At several points there’s a deep rumbling sound that disturbs the ambience. Curiously, while the program lists 14 tracks, there’s actually one more–a lovely rendition of the Sarabande from the Suite in E minor BWV 996–that suddenly bursts forth some four minutes after the end of track 14. Why there’s this long dead space and why this particular selection was tacked on to the end is anyone’s guess. Weird stuff!
