Buried treasure

Rossi Toccata No. 7 in D

Ton Koopman (harpsichord)

Harlekijn 2441 502

Before I went to Amsterdam to study with Ton Koopman, my harpsichord teacher in Japan introduced me to this recording. It’s one of Koopman’s very first, and it was so impressive for me that I immediately made up my mind to go to him to study. Rossi was completely unknown to me, and this Toccata is a very interesting piece with a lot of chromaticism. It’s typical of the style of the Italian early Baroque toccata; it is completely free, there is no format at all and it’s full of unexpected moments.

Sweelinck Psalm 150

Gesualdo Consort Amsterdam/harry van der Kamp Glossa GCD922407

I am very interested in music based on the 16th-century Genevan Psalter. These arrangements of all 150 psalms are some of the most exquisite, complicated and interesting choir music. Sweelinck used to be the town organist in Amsterdam at the time and his keyboard music is much more known, but his wonderful choral music is rarely performed. The arrangements are for three and eight voices, and rhythmically and harmonically they’re so exquisite.

Zelenka Lamentationes

Kurt Widmer (baritone); Instrumentalisten der Schola Cantorum Basiliensis

DHM G0100014132714

Kurt Widmer is one of the most wonderful baritone singers. Lamentationes is, of course, very famous and many composers wrote music based on it, but Zelenka was one of the most interesting and important composers in Dresden. This features only solos, and it is, especially, the first one for baritone that is very impressive. It’s meditative music with wonderful harmonies, subtle harmonic changes and different tempos.