Saltarello - CD

ENGLISH

Many instrumental compositions in music history, even if they're called sonata, suite, <span data-scayt_word="sinfonia" data-scaytid="1">sinfonia</span> or even fantasia, are essentially dances or else exhibit an unmistakable <span data-scayt_word="dancelike" data-scaytid="2">dancelike</span> character. Not a few examples of so-called art music also have their origins in the folk music of a particular country or make use of popular or folk elements. Under the title <span data-scayt_word="“Saltarello”" data-scaytid="3">"Saltarello"</span>, a <span data-scayt_word="14th-century" data-scaytid="4">14th-century</span> fast Italian dance in &frac34; time that survives today as a folk dance, viola player Garth Knox couples works stretching from the <span data-scayt_word="12th" data-scaytid="5">12th</span> century to the present day and demonstrates how fragile, even arbitrary, is the line drawn between art and folk music, but also that between old music and new sounds. Taking up fiddle, viola and viola <span data-scayt_word="d’amore" data-scaytid="6">d'amore</span>, accompanied by cellist <span data-scayt_word="Agnès" data-scaytid="8">Agnès</span> <span data-scayt_word="Vesterman" data-scaytid="9">Vesterman</span> and percussionist <span data-scayt_word="Sylvain" data-scaytid="10">Sylvain</span> <span data-scayt_word="Lemêtre" data-scaytid="11">Lemêtre</span>, Knox presents his own works alongside music by <span data-scayt_word="Hildegard" data-scaytid="12">Hildegard</span> von <span data-scayt_word="Bingen" data-scaytid="13">Bingen</span>; he juxtaposes the exquisite Renaissance sounds of John <span data-scayt_word="Dowland" data-scaytid="14">Dowland</span> against pieces by <span data-scayt_word="Kaija" data-scaytid="15">Kaija</span> <span data-scayt_word="Saariaho" data-scaytid="16">Saariaho</span> that make subtle use of electronics, and sets arrangements of traditional melodies and anonymous dance movements against Vivaldi's D minor Viola <span data-scayt_word="d’amore" data-scaytid="7">d'amore</span> Concerto ' a sensuous survey of 1000 years of musical events.