Wieland Kuijken, Les Voix humaines - Marais: Pieces for 3 Violes (2006)

In his insightful essay in the booklet accompanying the CD, Bruce Haynes makes a compelling argument for the need to understand the difference between descriptive and prescriptive musical notation. Most scores written since the Classical era are prescriptive -- they tell the performer, with varying degrees of precision, just how the music is to be played. In most Baroque and earlier music, the notation was descriptive -- a sketch, a guide, to remind the performer of what to play, with the implicit understanding that the performer would know how to use the score and provide the unwritten dynamics, tempo, phrasing, and ornamentation that were required to bring the music to life. Marais was an exception to standard Baroque practice because his scores show remarkable precision in expressing his intent. He indicated not only dynamics, articulations, and details of ornamentation, but fingerings, bowings, and varying degrees of vibrato. In his music, performers have the advantage of far more interpretive guidance than is typical for scores of his period.
Gambist Wieland Kuijken's career as an early music specialist spans 50 years, and his playing is marked by a freedom and spontaneity that come from a lifetime of intimate engagement with this music. Les Voix Humaines, which takes its name from one of Marais' compositions, is a Montreal-based gamba duo whose members are Susie Napper and Margaret Little. Joined by harpsichordist Eric Milnes, their approach matches Kuijken's in nuanced performances of Marais' first and second suites for three gambas from his fourth book of pieces for gamba, music that is lively, expressive, and highly varied. The precision of the ensemble is stunning in music with such mercurial but subtle changes in tempo, the tone quality is absolutely pure, and the intonation is flawless. They make Marais' extravagantly florid writing sound effortless. In Tombeau pour Monsieur de Lully, Kuijken is joined by Nigel North on the theorbo in a performance of wrenching poignancy. The sound quality is clear, present, and intimate.