The Celtic Viol / Jordi Savall
Airs & dances by various Irish and Scottish composers
Jordi Savall, treble viols; Andrew Lawrence-King, Irish harp & psalterium
Alia Vox
Jordi Savall shares his love for traditional Irish and Scottish music in his latest project, music originally played on fiddle and/or harp and passed from generation to generation by oral (and aural) means. He uses three different treble viols (the
earliest one, ca. 1500, identified as a “treble fiddle”) in various scordatura
tunings to “sing” the melodies, occasionally joined by the improvised harp and psalterium accompaniments of Andrew Lawrence-King. These unusual tunings and
the instruments’ five- or six-string configurations obtain a uniquely vibrant
sound (not to mention a range) that’s more timbrally complex and ear-friendly
than that produced by the traditional fiddles usually heard in this music.
Of course, this album also owes much to the playing of Savall, whose sensitivity
to these twenty-nine Celtic tunes is acute and obviously deeply felt. He finds
all the sadness and tenderness one could hope for in the beautiful Scottish
song “Hard is my Fate” and really digs into the double-stops of the Irish
“Gusty’s Frolics” while perfectly capturing the light dancing feel of tunes
such as “Emigrants Reel” and “Trip it Upstairs.” Lawrence-King is a masterful
musical partner, offering delightful, colorful and complementary
accompaniments.
- David Vernier
