Weiss Moskau

The London Manuscript is an edition of 316 pages now housed in the British Museum in London. The score is in tablature form (which means it indicates the finger positioning, not the notes on a stave) and comprises 237 pieces by Weiss grouped in 26 suites (each has six or seven individual movements), 5 grand duos with flute, and two dozen or so miscellaneous mostly dance movements. Note that Weiss originally did not name his suites as such (he used the term suonata later) but "suite" seems the most appropriate term.

"Where words fail, music speaks." Jana Herzen, head of Motema Music, shared this Hans Christian Anderson quote with David Weiss after the trumpeter had already titled his new record; the sentiment of that statement just happens to perfectly connect with this album.

The Weiss Kaplan Stumpf Trio's highly anticipated BEETHOVEN: COMPLETE PIANO TRIOS (BRIDGE 9505A/C three CDs) is now available. The stellar New York City based trio (Yael Weiss, piano; Mark Kaplan, violin; Peter Stumpf, cello) offer deep, beautifully rendered interpretations of eight immortal masterworks.

This disc is a real plucker’s delight featuring not only the skills of three leading mandolinists – Juan Carlos Muñoz, Mari Fe Pavón and Alla Tolkacheva – but also a continuo section consisting of baroque guitar, harpsichord and (anachronistically) Renaissance lute; even the violone and gamba are usually played pizzicato. Together they romp through a programme of concerti and sonatas by Dall’Abaco, Arrigoni, Matteis, Domenico Scarlatti, Johann Sigismund Weiss (rather than his more famous brother Sylvius Leopold), Fasch and of course Vivaldi; with a doffof their tricorns in the direction of earlier baroque composers Castello and Uccellini. This is joyous, glorious music-making.