Strues

I recently came across some recordings by Ensemble Alraune, which was a new name to me. Their website states:

Alraune is an ensemble founded by Mario Sollazzo and Stefano Zanobini with the aim of bringing together in a single group the eclectic characteristics of the two founders. Founded on a group of five musicians in addition to other collaborators for individual projects, the ensemble has as its guiding principles a great openness to a wide repertoire, the absolute attention to historical informed performance, the study of the sources, long-term and multidisciplinary projects. This brings to a natural interest in performing on original instruments and a very personal dimension of musical interpretation that is reflected in the formulation of the programs and in the interpretative line. Alraune’s work follows two main lines: the performance on original period instruments and research projects guided by a humanistic and political principle.

Their recording of Scarlatti chamber works I enjoyed, but onto this review: a rather eclectic mix of Glass, Gesualdo, Merula, Bach, Marais, de Hartmann, Tye, and Purcell. Or is the mix eclectic? It happens I like all the music on the recording. So why not mix my favorites such as the opening of Glassworks with the Sonnerie de Sainte-Geveviève du Mont de Paris?

The ensemble, as noted, uses period instruments; the Glass is performed as an arrangement with gothic bells and theorbo, in addition to strings; I can’t say what Glass would think, but I found the intimate textures quite nice with the opening to what I believe is his most popular recording/piece. Recorder, violas, cello, and violin make appearances across the recording. Despite the changes in repertoire, the performers do a good job at allowing the music to work together.

On repeated listen, I could go for an entire album of the Glass with the genius combination of plucked strings, theorbo, and yes, bells.

Gesualdo is presented in an instrumental arrangement of one of his Responsories. If you are not familiar with this collection, I always appreciate it for its otherworldly harmonic direction; played with gamba and strings, it works well without the words, which I often do not take the time to appreciate in sung versions. The music is a good contrast with the works by Tye.

Thomas de Hartmann is another “modern” voice in the recording; I had never heard of him; he is a Ukrainian composer who passed in 1956.

The darkness inherent in the pieces by Christopher Tye is washed away with fresh rain in the ensemble’s last track, Purcell’s Dance for the Chinese Man and Woman from the Fairy Queen.

The performance of the Marais is also an arrangement, substituting recorder for one of the violins and giving an especially gritty spotlight to the gamba. We often also do not get a lute in the mix as well.

I can’t say forthright what the concept is for this album; it has no liner notes included in the streaming edition I auditioned. But all should know the level of sensitivity and music making are both well-done and admirable; as a concept, it makes for a wonderful set of music for an afternoon of contrasting emotions of shadows of affect. I do not think you’d listen to it simply for the pieces themselves; instead, it’s the combination of the pieces and the rather consistent flavor brought about with the timbre of the selected instruments that give the album its high value.

N.B. The album cover mentions Gurdjieff, but the so-called “online version” of the album did not include music from this mystic writer.

Strues means heaps or piles in Latin.