This CD is a reissue (Astrée 8553) originally released in 1995 and also currently available in a specially priced 5-CD set titled “The 17th Century of Hopkinson Smith” (Naïve-Astree 8816). Though well-known and appreciated as an accomplished lute virtuoso and prolific composer in his day, Johann Kapsberger and his legacy are all but forgotten save for the virtuosic efforts of performers such as Smith and fellow Astrée theorboist Rolf Lislevand, who recorded Kapsberger’s Libro Quarto two years earlier in 1993 (Astrée 8515, now deleted). This relative neglect is a shame since both recordings reveal Kapsberger to be a strikingly inventive if not original composer prone to mannerism in the best of ways.
This is especially prevalent in Kapsberger’s Toccatas where harmonic structures often severely fluctuate within the same movement (Nos. 1, 4, 6, and 7 to great effect) and melodies often lapse into fascinating deconstructed parodies of themselves (the delectably rhapsodic Bach-like Toccata Arpeggiata, which arguably is the best example here). Rarely have I heard a program of lute music as joyfully unpredictable as this. Incidentally, the same also can be said of Lislevand’s offering, if not more so since he ups the ante with additional instrumentation and improvisational forays you’d expect more of a modern rock group than a 17th-century string consort.
Astrée’s crisp and clear sonics complement Smith’s stylish performances superbly. Victor Coelho’s informative, enthusiastic, and very comprehensive notes remain intact. This is a welcome reissue, recommended especially to all listeners unfamiliar with this sorely neglected master. And let’s keep our fingers crossed that the Lislevand disc returns to the catalog soon as well.
