LA VOCE DEL VIOLONCELLO - SOLO

LA VOCE DEL VIOLONCELLO: Solo Works of the First Italian Cellist-Composers • Elinor Frey (vc); Esteban la Rotta (thb, gtr); Susie Napper (vc) • PASSACAILLE 993 (61:05) Works by: ANONYMOUS, COLOMBI, G. M. DALL’ABACO, SUPRIANI, GALLI, VITALI, RUVO, D. GABRIELLI “First Italian cellist-composers” is pushing matters just a bit, given that, as Elinor Frey mentions, her recording spans roughly 75 years of music. It concludes with Giuseppe Maria Dall’Abaco, who was born in 1710 and died in 1805. But suffice to say, the disc furnishes an entertaining and varied program that features ricercars (Gabrielli), folk-like dances (Ruvo), bravura variations over ostinato basses (Vitali), Corelli-influenced sonatas (Galli), and a study in demonic virtuosity (Supriani). Most of the 22 selections are solos, though three selections are accompanied by theorbo, one by Baroque guitar, and two with continuo furnished by theorbo and a second baroque cello. The Baroque cello Frey use