Hopkinson Smith Denis Gaultier La Retorique Des Dieux (lp Flac)

Born in New York in 1946, Swiss-American lutenist Hopkinson Smith graduated from Harvard with Honors in Music in 1972. His instrumental studies took him to Europe where he worked with Emilio Pujol, a great pedagogue in the highest Catalan artistic tradition, and with the Swiss lutenist, Eugen Dombois, whose sense of organic unity between performer, instrument, and historical period has had lasting effects on him. He has been involved in numerous chamber music projects and was one of the founding members of the ensemble Hespèrion XX. Since the mid-80’s, he has focused almost exclusively on the solo repertoires for early plucked instrument, producing a series of prize-winning recordings for Astrée and Naïve, which feature Spanish music for vihuela and baroque guitar, French lute music of the Renaissance and baroque, English and Italian music of the 16th early 17th century and music from the German high baroque.

Originating from Nancy (Lorraine, France), Acintya offers top-notch instrumental symphonic Progressive rock. Keyboardist Philippe De Canck's group recorded one sole album in 1978, "La Cité Des Dieux Oubliés" in 1978. The two long tracks making the vinyl, not to mention the opening-track "Adyane", are enlightened by the use of solemn and majestic keyboards, including the organ of Saint-Nicolas-De-Port's famous basillica. These parts are cleverly completed by an inspired violin, played by Philippe Cleese. Somewhere in the tradition of the Frence neo-classic Progressive rock, the art of Acintya may recall the complex and elaborated themes courtesy of Wapassou, for instance…

Charles Mouton’s music is rarely heard on CD, this being the only recording devoted exclusively to him. Stylistically Mouton was heir to the well-established Parisian tradition of Francois Dufaut, Denis Gaultier, and his cousin Ennemond (all of whom Smith has featured in full-length CD programs for Astrée–all unfortunately deleted), where lute composition and performance first attempted to mirror or at least programmatically allude to extra-musical subject matter. Hence, selections here such as “La belle homicide”, “Le Dialogue des graces sur Iris”, “La Bizare”, and the brief self-portrait selection “Le Mouton; Canarie” imply that the composer not only wished to enchant the ear, but also invited listeners to muse over the sources of his inspiration. Whether or not these intended allusions are made, Mouton’s pieces here are always well-crafted, quintessentially elegant, and ceaselessly nostalgic–the anachronistic epitome of late-17th century French style.

The American lutenist, Hopkinson Smith, began as a teenager he began to study the classical guitar and in his early 20's, he became acquainted with the lute which he started to learn by himself. He majored in musicology at Harvard and graduated with honors in 1972. In 1973, Hopkinson Smith came to Europe to devote himself to the lute in earnest. He worked in Catalonia with Emilio Pujol, a profound pedagogue in the 19th century tradition who instilled in him a sense for higher artistic values, and in Switzerland with Eugen Dombois whose sense of happy organic unity between performer, instrument and historic period has had a lasting effect on him. From the mid 1970's, he was involved in various ensemble projects including the founding of the ensemble Hespèrion XX and a ten-year collaboration with Jordi Savall. This collaboration led to important experiences in chamber music which were a creative complement to his work as a soloist.