Search - Weiss, Junghanel :: Overture in B Flat / Suite in G Minor & D Minor

Junghanel's Weiss

Wayne Monges | Berkeley, CA USA | 03/05/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Because Weiss wrote only for the lute, he will never achieve the status of a major composer like Bach, despite the fact that his pieces rival Bach's in their lyrical grandeur and their sometimes startling harmonic excursions within overarching structures so logical that they seem somehow inevitable. After hearing Weisss one finds it hard, as with Bach, to remember what it can have been like not to know this music. Konrad Junghanel's performances emphasize the monumental qualities of Weiss's music: his tempos tend to be rather strict, with carefully calculated ritardandos placed exactly where they seem to belong. I have heard freer versions, such as Lutz Kirchhof's, which emphasize spontanaiety over precision, with more rubato (free rhythm) and wilder dynamic swings. This approach seems legitimate too, perhaps even truer to the original spirit, since the lute soloist was always free to improvise, not having to worry about losing the ensemble along the way. But for a "classic" reading of Weiss it is hard to imagine any better than Junghanel's. Flawless execution, consistently powerful tone: it's a crying shame that this record is not readily available."

A very good performance.

Gary J. Wright | San Francisco, CA United States | 07/14/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This is a high quality disc and, with Junghanel's solo CDs presently hard to get hold of, this is as good a presentation of his fine playing as you can find. Weiss and Junghanel admirers will need no further encouragement.

However, for those new to Weiss, Barto's series on Naxos might be a better introduction. His performances are also very good and the budget price is extremely attractive. You can buy three volumes of Barto's Weiss for little more than the price of the single Junghanel. All are equally enjoyable discs."

The more records appear, the better is this one!

Gary J. Wright | 04/14/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The onliest record which combines a maximum of expression with technical skill and courage, that's the real baroque lute."