There are some novelties, including the two anonymous sonatas on the famous Ruggiero and Bergamasca tunes and a long Fantasia by Etienne Nau, although this last, despite its undoubted technical demands and Jonathan Talbott’s claims, is rather dull.

This recording’s chief interest, apart from the high quality performances, is Jonathan Talbott’s use of a Renaissance violin made by Richard Earle after lengthy research involving treatises, paintings and other documents from around 1600. Entirely strung with high-tension sheep’s gut, it has other features visible unfortunately only with difficulty in the booklet’s tiny photographs, such as a curiously shaped body and a neck ending with a distinctively curled pegbox instead of the now standard tight scroll. Talbott also plays it as shown in the cover illustration, cradled in the arm rather than resting on the shoulder.

Its sound is a revelation, mellow yet firm and reedy in quite a different fashion from the treble viol while capable of an equally wide range of tonal nuances, all clearly captured by the highly detailed SACD sound. Talbott nimbly executes the fast and florid pieces, but is equally adept in more solemn pieces such as Schop’s magnificent arrangement of Striggio’s madrigal Nasce la pena mia. The accompanying instruments, all expertly played, include an organ, Baroque double harp and theorbo. CHRISTOPHER PRICE

VIOLIN SHOWPIECES OF THE EARLY 17TH CENTURY
Jonathan Talbott
Aliud ACD HN 012-2
2007 · 68:07’