Entrata

You can hear instruments that have only been used for a short time, especially in the baroque. Mostly string instruments with catgut strings or with metal resonance strings. What is also special is that they all produce a modest yet charming sound, something that people were trying to find in the baroque.
In this Entrata, a short tour through these special string instruments: the viola Bettera, the viola d’amore, the viola bastarda, the baryton and the lirone.

‘viola Bettera‘

1. Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750).
– Choralvorspiel BWV659: Nun Komm, der Heiden Heiland.
Bruno Cocset, viola bettera. Bertrand Cuiller, organ. Richard Myron, contrabass.
(Alpha 139, 2008)
2. Attilio Ariosti (1666-1729).
Prima Lezione (1720).
– Allegro. 
– Largo.   
– Andante. 
Garth Knox, viola d`amore. Agnès Vesterman, cello.
(ECM 19254766369, 2008)
3. Attilio Ariosti.
Cantate ‘Pur Alfin Gentil viola’
– Aria: Pur alfin gentil viola..largo ed appuntato.
– Recitative: non fu saggio il consiglio.
– Aria: Belta che col rigor…allegro.
Thomas Georgi, viola d`amore. Emma Kirkby, soprano. Lucas Harris, lutee, baroque guitar. Mime Yamahiro Brinkmann, cello.
(BIS-CD-1675, 2008)
4. Richardo Rogniono (1560-1620).
– Susane ung jour (after Lassus).
– Anchor che c’ol partire (after Cipriano).
Hille Perl, viola bastarda. Robert Sagasser, Martina Rothbauer, Paulina van Laarhoven and Matthias Müller, viola da gamba. Andrew Lawrence-King, baroque harp. Lee Santana, lute and renaissance guitar.
(DHM 05472775022, 2000)
5. Karl Friedrich Abel (1723-1787).
– Allegro.
– Menuet.
– Prelude.
– Adagio.
– Prelude.
– Allegro.
Philippe Foulon, baryton.
(HM lyr169, 1999)
6. Giovanni Legrenzi (1626-1690). 
– Lumi, potete piangere.
Dorothee Mields, soprano. Hille Perl, lirone. Balthasar-Neumann-Ensemble led by Thomas Hengelbrock.
(DHM 05472775202, 2000)
Giovanni Girolamo Kapsberger (1580-1651).
– Occhi Soli d`amore.
Hans-Jörg Mammel, tenor. Paulina van Laarhoven, lirone. L’Arpeggiata led by Christina Pluhar.
(Alpha 012, 2001)