Let us start with a picture.
I think it is extraordinary.
We do recognise it, yes, it is the masterpiece of Leonardo
da Vinci. It is a relatively well-known painting but how does it get here in
the recommendation? Well, through the lady whose influence is still felt and
reached you too while reading this.
Isabelle d'Este, the famous Marchese, in the court in
Mantua - there is much to read about her. The outdated assumption that Mona Lisa
is her portrait takes it all.
Her extraordinary intelligence, patronage of culture and
diversified contacts in diplomacy flooded around a life which was similar to an
adventure novel rich in turns documented in details by 12 thousand letters she
left behind. They include everything from the wars to the length of hat-pins.
There is an Italian ensemble which took up her name; it was
only an ad hoc setup, time blew them apart, the members play elsewhere since
then, 20 years have passed, but I am holding their record, which is fine.
And, yes, we have the right guess, it was a lady’s idea,
Ariane Maurette.
Remember her name, mention will be made of her. It is an
interesting point of intersection in the Matrix.
The works of Andrea Falconieri. They are notes and settings
heard relatively rarely in a nice collection in an album.
The first edition is a Symphony from 1994, it is vanishing;
it can be bought in Amazon for the price of gold...
Falconieri - Naples again, and the special glittering
radiating into the soul, and music especially. To such extent that this
Napolitan Music became a distinct chapter of the history of music. When he
arrived in Rome in the 1600s, she was the weird stranger who brought a melody
with her which fascinated the noble audience. All the pubs played it… It was
the famous Suave Melodia, popular for centuries. It is even today.
From the point of view of music academy it is nothing
special, a few nice chords with an interesting timing of rhythm.
Nice melody as the title suggests. It is not complicated.
Or is it? Each
repetition is adorned differently; there is a dissonant ornamentation in the
middle; it is far from a well-formed sonata or even fugue but the intertwining
of chords makes it special.
Like a blanket stitch. Sewn together though loosely. And, of
course, it has no ending. A Mobius tape was sewn round. It is obvious anyway,
remember, Ariadne’s clew led Theseus out of an endless labyrinth; it had to be
wound up in some shape...
The effect on the given receivers where the resonance points
meet is very strong. Like a call to listen and admire, and, at the same time,
there is something frightening in it with this constant restart. We withdrew
the record long ago, stand in a queue for a crescent but it is still playing
inside us…
Here is a beautiful Passacaglia; the tooter’s entry, like a
fine breath. That nice Lamento bass again…
The instrumentation and play are fine. I like it very much
when somebody plays the violin like in this record. There is no enforced
virtuosity, no “I will show you”, he simply shows us the melody rather than
himself. Like Monteverdi did not flood his unhappiness onto us but tells a
story beyond Arianna moaning. It is a real metaphysical sadness.
Men, these few chords fall into such complicacy? You need
not run away or even believe it, it is only the distant frame, the dim
philosophical background of Early Music - the point is the beauty radiating onto
us.
Do you remember what László Krasznahorkai said?
The creation of perfect beauty produces and invigorates the
highest intellectual order of a civilisation.
Was he listening to this record while writing the above
down?
We do not know but these thoughts are in synchrony with the
metaphysics of Early Music.
As a closing this Leonardo painting comes to my mind.
For it remained inside like music; it was captured in our
mind. Or rather the opposite.
Having a longer glance it is just like Suave Melodia.
It is Suave Melodia indeed.
Highly, highly recommended.
* * *
Translated by Kenesei Andrea
_____________________
Thank you for the images
Krasznahorkai László - read more
