Sophie Yates - Romanesca: Italian Music for Harpsichord (1997)

The pieces played on this recording are well-chosen and beautifully played. The CD contains a selection of Italian music based on dance/vocal forms and toccatas composed during the late 16th and 17th centuries. Some of the pieces, notably the Seconde Stravaganze by Giovanni de Macque and the Seventh Toccata by Rossi, make use of chromatic harmonies popular during this period, which do produce an "out-of-tune" effect in mean tone tuning, but that was the point! If this at first seems grating, it becomes intriguing and appealing after a few listenings. A highlight of the recording is Frescobaldi's impressive Cento Partite sopra Passacagli, considered to be one of the finest pieces of variations of the 17th century. As usual, Sopie Yates has created a magical recording. The sound quality is also quite good.