Love Reconciled
A landmark in Australian early-music performance, The Marais Project’s Love Reconciled is a recording to return to often and savour deeply.
Belinda Montgomery soprano
Fiona Ziegler baroque violin
Daniel Yeadon viola da gamba
Catherine Upex viola da gamba
Tommie Andersson theorbo
Chris Berensen harpsichord
The Marais Project ensemble
Classical musicians can be notoriously single-minded. Even so, the work of Marais Project director and viola da gambist Jennifer Eriksson in bringing her favourite composer, Marin Marais (1656–1728), before Australian audiences is extraordinary. In 2000, completely unfunded, she set out to perform all of Marais’ some 600 works across the five books of Pièces de viole. Known as the “Paganini of the viola da gamba” (or bass viol), Marais still marks the pinnacle of viol playing. A decade on, with ABC Classic FM studio sessions and Sunday Live broadcasts, a thriving subscription series and dozens of concerts behind it, Eriksson’s ensemble was cementing its place among Australia’s leading exponents of the French viola da gamba repertoire with this second Move CD, Love Reconciled.
Produced by Llew Kiek, the disc gathers leading early musicians: lutenist Tommie Andersson, gambists Daniel Yeadon and Catherine Upex, violinist Fiona Ziegler, harpsichordist Chris Berensen, soprano Belinda Montgomery, and Eriksson herself. The running order is carefully built so that little-heard solo and duo gamba repertoire sits at the centre, framed by Morel’s trio sonata and Stephen Yates’ short ballet on French Baroque themes.
Almost every work was a first Australian commercial recording: the monumental Tombeau de Mr. Meliton, Marais’ lament for two bass viols; Morel’s Chaconne; the D minor suite for two gambas; Yates’ ballet; and Bouteiller’s rarely heard motets for voice, two gambas and continuo, with Montgomery.
Reviews
For Viol players and Marais enthusiasts, Tombeau de Mr Meliton, reeks of the satisfying richness of two gambas, and the resonance and consistency of the theorbo… The Move Package is visually appealing and, the part that matters most, the music selection and listening quality, deserve top marks
Artists
Jennifer Eriksson
Jennifer Eriksson completed her initial musical studies at the Sydney Conservatorium before moving to the Netherlands for three years of viola da gamba tuition with Jaap ter Linden at Rotterdam Conservatorium.
Belinda Montgomery
Belinda Montgomery is a Sydney-based soprano and early music specialist whose freelance work spans baroque consort programmes, contemporary chamber music and the concert stage.
Fiona Ziegler
Fiona Ziegler Fiona began her violin and piano studies at the age of five with her mother, Sydney violinist, Eva Kelly. At the Conservatorium High School she studied violin with Christopher Kimber and Harry Curby, piano with Nancy Salas and cello with Lois Simpson, attending master classes with Valery Klimov, Igor Ozim and the Quartetto Beethoven di Roma.
Daniel Yeadon
Daniel Yeadon has a worldwide career as a cellist and viola da gamba player; his repertoire ranges from renaissance to contemporary. In addition to the Marais Project his regular chamber music collaborators in Australia include Neal Peres Da Costa, Genevieve Lacey, Ironwood, Romanza, Kammer, Elision and The Collective.
Catherine Upex
Catherine Upex is an Australian cellist and viola da gamba player. Trained in Sydney, she is a long-standing member of The Marais Project and plays viol with Josie and the Emeralds.
Tommie Andersson
Tommie Andersson was born in Sweden and has been based in Sydney since 1984. He is regarded as Australia's leading specialist in lutes and early guitars, and as a continuo player and soloist across the early-music repertoire.
The Marais Project
The Marais Project is a celebration of music for the viola da gamba inspired by Marin Marais, the great French virtuoso viola da gamba performer and composer. Formed by Jennifer Eriksson in 2000, the ensemble’s original aim was to perform the complete viola da gamba works of Marais – a monumental task which is more than 85% complete.
Audio previews
Tracks
- Chaconne en trio Jacques Morel 6:31
- Prélude 3:57
- Allemande 3:25
- Courante 1:40
- Sarabande 3:01
- Gigue 2:22
- Gavotte 1:10
- Menuet 1:19
- Tantum ergo, motet for voice, two viola da gambas and continuo Pierre Bouteiller 3:54
- Rondeau louré 3:43
- Allemande La Marianne 2:33
- Sarabande 2:50
- Menuet 1:51
- La Georgienne la Maupertuy 1:32
- Tombeau de Mr. Meliton for two viola da gambas, Pièces de violes, 1er livre Marin Marais 9:29
- O salutaris hostia, motet for voice, two viola da gambas and continuo Pierre Bouteiller 4:28
- Love Reconciled or The Rewards of Evil – A Ballet Vivant in One Act Stephen Yates 10:57
Suite in D minor for two viola da gambas, Pièces de violes, 1er livre Marin Marais
Suite in G minor, Pièces de viole, 5è livre Marin Marais
Performers
- Jennifer Eriksson
- Belinda Montgomery · tracks 9 and 16
- Fiona Ziegler · baroque violin · tracks 1 and 17
- Daniel Yeadon · tracks 2–9, 15 and 16
- Catherine Upex · tracks 1, 10–14 and 17
- Tommie Andersson · theorbo
- Chris Berensen · tracks 1–8, 10–14 and 17
- The Marais Project
Composers
Marin Marais
Marin Marais (1656–1728) was a French composer and master of the viola da gamba. His five books of Pièces de viole remain the summit of the French baroque viol repertoire.
Pierre Bouteiller
Pierre Bouteiller’s surviving sacred works comprise thirteen petits motets and a requiem for five voices and basso continuo. His motets for voice with two viola da gambas place the singer among the rich, intimate sonorities of the French viol tradition.
Stephen Yates
Stephen Yates (b. 1957) is a Sydney composer whose catalogue includes ballet scores and chamber works, among them music for lower-voiced recorders and strings.
Where to listen
Love Reconciled is available for streaming through Spotify and Apple Music. It can also be purchased through the iTunes Music Store.
Love Reconciled is available as a CD. It can be purchased online through Buywell Music or the Australian Music Centre which both offer online ordering.
Product details
- Catalogue number
- MCD 424
- List price
- $25.00 AUD
- Total playing time
- 64 minutes 42 seconds
- Producer
- Llew Kiek
- Recording Engineer
- Chris Doherty
- Mastering Engineer
- Don Bartley
- Venue
- EMI Studios 301
- Release date
- 2009
- Musical work
copyright - © 2009 The Marais Project
- Sound recording
copyright - ℗ 2009 The Marais Project
- Categories
- Baroque, Classical, Early music
- Genres
- Baroque, Early Music
- Barcode
- EAN 9314574042429
Related recordings
Exquisite Harmonies
Exquisite Harmonies features works for viola da gamba and harpsichord, and several harpsichord solos, largely from the French Baroque. The exceptions are Telemann, Abel and Australian composer Troy Russell. A nice treat is an improvised harpsichord fantasia in the style of Telemann.
Nordic Moods & Baroque Echoes
A collaboration between Duo Langborn/Wendel and The Marais Project, this album blends baroque repertoire, new compositions and arrangements, and folk music from Australia and Sweden.
Australian Monody
The Marais Project is joined by countertenor Russell Harcourt for a collection of largely Australian songs and instrumental works, spanning light and darkness, love and loss.
Uncovered Ground
This first collection of concert works by Felicity Wilcox gathers the cream of her chamber music from 2014 to 2018. It opens with the celebrated bass clarinet solo People of this Place, written for Jason Noble, and includes commissions for Ensemble Offspring, Ironwood and the Australia Ensemble, plus a movement from her first string quartet.