La Mascerade Rolf Lislevand

• 1 Prélude en ré mineur 01:15
• 2 Passacaille en ré mineur 02:42
• 3 Les Sylvains de Mr. Couperin 04:00
• 4 Intro (Passacaille en sol mineur) 01:20
• 5 Passacaille en sol mineur 02:37
• 6 Prélude en la mineur 01:30
• 7 La Mascarade, Rondeau 01:30
• 8 Partie de Chaconne en ut majeur 02:38
• 9 Sarabanda per la B 02:19
• 10 Chaconne en la mineur 02:40
• 11 Caprice de Chaconne 04:37
• 12 Chaconne en sol majeur 06:56
• 13 Folie 01:56
• 14 La Muzette, Rondeau 04:08
• 15 Intro (Passacaille en si mineur) 00:56
• 16 Passacaille en si mineur 02:51
• 17 Exit (Passacaille en si mineur) 01:01
• 18 Sarabande en si mineur 03:26
• Total Runtime 48:22

Info for La Mascerade

In this wonderful solo album, Norwegian early music performer Rolf Lislevand turns his attention to two composers from the court of Louis XIV: Robert de VisEe (c. 1655-1732) and the Italian-born Francesco Corbetta (c. 1615-1681), and plays their masterpieces with historical awareness and an inventiveness which belongs to the tradition.

De Visee wrote about playing what the instruments themselves called for, advice Lislevand takes to heart, adding improvised introductions to passacaglias from both composers. He uses two contrasting instruments here, the small Baroque guitar with its sparkling, crystal-clear sonorities and the theorbo, the dark-toned and earthy king of the lutes.

In his fascinating liner notes, Lislevand reminds us that 17th century instrumental performance was often an intimate affair, with lutenists frequently playing to a dozen privileged listeners.

The physical presence of the instruments and that sense of intimacy is recaptured by Manfred Eichers production of La Mascarade, made at Luganos Auditorio Stelio Molo.

Rolf Lislevand, baroque guitar, theorbo

Rolf Lislevand
Born in Oslo in 1961 Rolf Lislevand studied the classical guitar at the Norwegian State Academy of Music before entering the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis in Basle where he worked with Hopkinson Smith and Eugène Dubois. In the late eighties he started playing in Jordi Savall’s groups such as Hespèrion XX, La Capella Reial de Catalunya and the Concert des Nations. Lislevand whose solo recordings have won numerous international prizes is now a professor at the Staatliche Musikhochschule in Trossingen.

Booklet for La Mascerade