Joel Frederiksen – A true love of mine

dreamdancer

I am a Fama Tuba
“A true love of mine” was the title of the concert I attended this Sunday in Leverkusen. Joel Frederiksen was performing songs from the Renaissance accompanying himself with the lute. The program was very thoughtfully composed. It was split in two parts; first came songs from the Elizabethan era, which were followed by Italian Renaissance songs after the break.
Joel gave a really impressive performance. He mastered the difficult melismatic style of the voice --- where many tones are sung in a fast sequence on a single syllable such as in “glo-o-o-o-o-o-ria” --- combined with the tricky rhythms by Thomas Ford (“There is a lady”), John Dowland (“Time stands still”, “Can she excuse my wrongs?”) and Thomas Morley, just along with their indeed challenging lute parts. These songs, which ask more from the listener just as they do from the artist, were embedded in “lighter” parts such as songs written for Shakespeare theater pieces or a very rhythmic and driving version of “Greensleeves”.
Frederiksen’s warm basso profondo – and profound it is – could shine even more in the second part; for instance in a version of Caccini’s “Amarilli, mia bella”, which was arranged by a singer in the 1620’s with a lot of complicated and extended melismatic ornaments, or in “Deh chi d’alloro” (also Caccini), where the vocal range spans over two and a half octaves (in one melisma!). A great voice, as we all know from Helium Vola!
Most of the songs presented in this Matinee can be found on one of the CD’s recorded by Fredriksen and his Ensemble Phoenix (“Orfeus, I am”, “The Elfin Knight”, and “O felice morire”). But no recording can prepare you for the nuances in dynamics and phrasings, which appear in the heavy and sad songs like “Zefiro Spira” (a Petrarca poem) or when Frederiksen stops playing for a moment to fully concentrate on the vocal expression. Breathtaking and absolutely amazing!
:ymapplause: :ymapplause: :ymapplause: :ymapplause: :ymapplause:
 
0.o wow! thank you so much for sharing your perspective !! sorry I missed it.. really really sorry
 
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