Julianne Baird, along with Emma Kirkby, is virtually unique in having achieved super-stardom as an exclusively Early Music Soprano. She is symbolic of the sea-change in this field which was once the refuge of artists who couldn't make it in the mainstream of the Romantic repertoire. In the early days of the "authentic performance" movement one could emit just about any ear-splitting squawk or squeal and maintain that it was "historically correct." Since no one can prove definitively how music sounded 'way back then, there being no recordings, many in the early revival movement got away with murder. Hideous voices were justified by pointing to Renaissance paintings of singing angels with their neck muscles tightly constricted. Happily, singers like Ms. Baird, who have gorgeous voices, have convinced the public that putting in the required hockets and trills is more than authentic enough at this remove to present early music in a way that satisfies both the scholar and the general listener. Baird's astounding technique and beauty of timbre cannot fail to win one over at once, as demonstrated in the very first track of this album, Monteverdi's Laudate Dominum.
Her partner here, Ronn McFarlane, accompanying her on the lute and having a few solo turns, is likewise a considerable artist with numerous recordings to his credit, many with The Baltimore Consort of which he is a member. He also taught lute for 11 years at the Peabody Conservatory. The two work together in perfect harmony and are vividly recorded.
Although all of the 33 selections feature Italian music for lute, or voice and lute, there is an amazing variety of materials covering some 150 years, from the late Renaissance through the early Baroque. The songs range from sacred to secular, polyphonic to homophonic, simple to complex, happy to sad. There are famous composers such as Monteverdi, and obscure ones such as Franciscus Bossinensis (literally, "of Bosnia." I can see it coming: "The Bosnian Baroque"!).
Whatever the provenance, there are nothing but gems in this 70-minute program of scintillating, tuneful music. The extensive booklet includes complete texts with English translations, in-depth notes on the composers and their musical forms and styles, with bios and pictures of the artists. Mission: accomplished.
