De Rippe - Un perfaict sonneur de leut - O'Dette

Rating: 5/5

Review:
Another gem from Paul O'Dette

De Rippe was a new composer to me, but I will listen to anything Paul O’Dette chooses to record. This turns out to be lovely, rewarding Renaissance lute music of the highest quality.

O’Dette has brought together a deliberately and delightfully varied programme, “representing all three of the most popular forms in the repertoire of the time: fantasias, intabulations of vocal pieces (in our composer’s case, mostly ‘chansons’), and dances,” as he says in his notes. It’s great stuff, full of technical virtuosity and with a very pleasing overall effect. O’Dette, of course, plays it beautifully, making light of the technical challenges and bringing the music’s inner quality out fully. The sound of his instruments is very beautiful throughout ane excellently recorded by Harmonia Mundi.

This is a first-rate disc all round and warmly recommended.