In the furor of press attention in 2005 and 2006 over new manuscript discoveries of music in the hand of Johann Sebastian Bach, one important 2004 discovery got lost in the shuffle -- two sizable volumes, formerly belonging to the library of Count of Harrach in Rohrau, of lute music by Bach's friend Silvius Leopold Weiss. Weiss is, by far, the pre-eminent composer of lute music in the late Baroque and the last great player of the instrument before its long eclipse. While we have known for a long time that Weiss composed lute duets, prior to the discovery of the Harrach manuscripts only a single part existed for the Concerto in C major featured on ATMA Classique's Weiss: Concerto for two lutes, recorded here for the first time by
Bernhard Hofstötter and
Dolores Costoyas. The balance of this generous program consists of
Hofstötter in solo pieces derived from the Harrach manuscripts as well -- a Suite in F major not previously known along with several "new" individual movements and three suites previously known, but in versions that differ from the standard.
Both lutes employed on Weiss: Concerto for two lutes are 13-course instruments of the kind that Weiss is known to have favored.
Hofstötter employs a strong touch that he places in the service of increased sensitivity and the result is creamy rather than plucky; Weiss' carefully crafted counterpoint and passagework flow effortlessly forward in a program that is highly pleasing to the ear no matter where one's tastes are concentrated. ATMA Classique's recording is full, responsive, and a little quiet, though one can turn it up -- this reflects the natural volume of the lute, and it would not be a good thing if the recording was too loud. If your tastes run to new discoveries in the field of Baroque music, ATMA Classique's Weiss: Concerto for two lutes cannot be recommended highly enough.