With the exception of his Vivaldi recording, Rolf Lislevand has established his recorded reputation championing obscure composers such as Kapsberger, Sanz, Van Eyck, and Murcia. Since most of these were first or only recordings, I’ve continually rejoiced in Lislevand’s introductions to these minor masters over the years, often anticipating what surprises may lie ahead. While J.S. Bach’s cornerstone oeuvre for lute certainly does not suffer from obscurity, Lislevand’s passion for these pieces is equally apparent here. What makes this recording extra special is Lislevand’s arresting interpretive ideas. Musical lines are stretched. Tempos often subtly fluxuate, allowing the melodies to float across the bar-lines. Listen to the Gavotte movement of the Suite in G minor BWV 995: What begins as probably the slowest ever rendering of this movement ends up as an almost heroic march. Later on, in one of Bach’s most famous melodies, the Gavotte en Rondeaux from the Suite in E major BWV 1006/a, Lislevand similarly takes great pleasure in refreshingly rethinking the piece’s shape. Adding to the musical pleasures, the recorded sound is state of the art, and Lislevand’s notes are informative and entertaining. Highly recommended!
