These performances of 17th-century Italian harpsichord music–played on an authentic 17th-century Italian harpsichord–seem to just fly by in a whirl of brightly sparkling runs, trills, arpeggios, dancing melodies, and flashy, full-textured harmonies. If you’re a harpsichord fan and aren’t familiar with the works of Giovanni Salvatore, Gregorio Strozzi, or Gaetano Greco, soloist Enrico Baiano proves an exciting and knowledgeable guide, his fluid technique and stylish ornamentations convincingly proving that old forms can strike modern ears with a freshness that’s both exciting and revelatory. Baiano arranges his program–which also includes several selections by the more-familiar Alessandro Scarlatti–in a way that effectively compares and contrasts these composers’ different manners and modes of expression in the popular forms of the day–toccata, ricercar, corrente, and in the varying incarnations of fugal style.
There are improvisatory pieces such as Salvatore’s Ricercare IV del IV Tuono, which have a sturdy, traditional cast–and then comes Greco’s dazzling Partite sopra il ballo di Mantova–a wild, romping tour de force that fully exploits the harpsichord’s colors and challenges the player with virtuosic runs and leaps and surprising syncopations. The sound is fairly bright–more so than I prefer, especially considering the inherent brightness of the instrument–and as such the bass register comes across as lighter in weight than it should. However, you shouldn’t let that stop you from enjoying Baiano–a terrific and impressive artist–and his engaging program. His own notes on the music are informative and useful in understanding the significance of the repertoire and its provenance.
