Hopkinson Smith plays Weiss on a 1755 Widhalm Swan-neck Baroque Lute

00:00 introduction
Suite d-moll
0:09 Prélude
1:29 Allemande
4:51 Courante
6:33 Menuets I und II
9:02 Bourrée
10:48 Sarabande
13:06 Gigue
14:55 Tombeau sur la Mort de M. Conte de Logy arrivée 1721
23:40 Prélude und Fantasie c-moll
Suite D-dur
28:15 Prélude
29:59 Aria
35:04 Courante
38:20 Sarabande
42:48 Passagaille
46:52 Gigue
The Widhalm lute is similar to an aged aristocratic
general, the hero of battles long since fought, still
with an elegant and proud bearing, but also, no longer
the tactician he once was. The strengths of the
instrument - apart from the amazing phenomenon
that it has survived in playing condition without
restoration - lie in its wonderfully rich bass register
and in the clear singing quality of the upper strings
(the first five courses were strung in gut for this
recording). Its strong qualities include a middle
register with less power than it probably had originally, and also a mild stubbornness on the part of
the instrument in lighter movement whose agile
passagework could have been more clearly realized
on a more flexible modern instrument.
The decision on my part to use an original instrument does not come from any self-righteous assertion that the music of a particular period is “supposed” to sound in one specific way and that we must therefore adhere to burdensome “rules” of a time and style. It comes rather from, first of all, a natural curiosity to see what old instruments are like - so few are in playable condition and they can normally be borrowed only for a specific project - and secondly, the desire to see just how this instrument and this music would adapt to each other. This project remains as much a document of a magnificent 18th century lute (the first to be recorded, I believe) as it is a testament to the greatest 18th century Iutenist composer.
Three notes on the programming:
1) In the Dresden Weiß Manuscript version of the D minor Suite, what is here played as a minuet en rondeau is copied out as two distinct Minuets separated by the Sarabande. I have chosen rather to make one more substantial piece out of the two and to build n more dramatic pacing into the suite by pairing the Sarabande with the Gigue.
2) The Prélude and Fantasy in C minor are also separated in the British Museum Weiß Ms from which they come, but are here combined. Out of the turmoil of harmonic instability of the Prélude, enters the unmeasured but more stable opening of an old friend, the C minor Fantasie, one of the best known lute pieces of Weiß.
3) The last suite is a regrouping of some of the best pieces in D major from different parts of the British Museum Ms. Despite their dispersion in the manuscript, there are thematic similarities between the movements (especially the Aria and Sarabande), and they fit together into a well proportioned suite.

[@REALjohnmosesbrowning]

This came up in my autoplay, and the opening passage immediately made me stop what I was working on and see what was on. The KZbin gods have blessed me today. I'm amazed that a 270 year old instrument can sound as bright as this thing does.

[@douglas8604]

I mean, some of the most prized instruments that currently exist are Stradivarius violins, which are all around 300 years old.

[@LaraineAnne]

And what about the gorgeous Sixtus Rauwolf that Lindberg plays? It dates from about 1590.

[@paulcaswell2813]

@@douglas8604Different constructions. Fiddles will last 'forever'. Lutes (and guitars for that matter) tend to reach their peaks at a young age (15-20 years), and many are already 'past it' at 50...

[@hellomate639]

​@@douglas8604 In China, people play guqins from 1000 years ago. It's freaky, to be frank. That's like the Viking age, and there are people playing Guqins like people play lutes from the Baroque era.

[@nathanandnickSherbetImage]

I want this recording played while my ashes are being scattered over Nevada.

[@katideb1107]

Recorded so many years ago and still unsurpassable! Hoppy is unique.

[@nicholaspearson4246]

I knew Hoppy Smith way back in 1966 when he was a student at Harvard. So wonderful that he chose to concentrate on music and that he became one of the great lutenists of our age. I have compared Hoppy's rendition of this Weiss suite with Robert Barto's. Both are excellent, but I think that Happy has included some ornaments that work very nicely.

[@jacquesfontaine3384]

Hopkinson fut une de mes grandes idoles depuis plus de 40 ans , par ses disques si beaux objets en eux même chez Astrée , par ses enregistrements sur la vihuela , par ses interviews sur France Musique . Par tant de belles musiques , chez HesperionXX aussi , j'ai trouvé ainsi un bonheur encore plus salvateur face aux déséquilibres présents si bien exacerbés par certains médias.Merci pour ce temps suspendu.

[@redbrick9634]

Hooked on the first note

[@davidlee4853]

Amazing finger dexterity with pleasant echoes throughout the piece.

[@francescoluna1391]

Please give it to him the nobel prize for peace.

[@COLDMKULTRA]

Perfect execution ... perfect sensibility ... Excellent.

[@seanmarshall7529]

Fantastic piece played.. soo well.. by such an eclectic human being.. thanks for publishing this gem

[@giulianisimone3344]

I'm crying.

[@marioforieri8529]

I agree , quite amazing, superb sound and talent. I think the Lord God Jesus blessed you and others to help realize how precious man is giving him gifts and life. Blessings

[@nathanandnickSherbetImage]

Incredible.

[@euhdink4501]

Never heard such beautiful music and c hanged my guitar for the lute, back in the years this astounishing LP came out.

[@quezster]

Perhaps I've overlooked something obvious here. What is the name of this wonderful album? I would like to find a copy.

[@danielpalmer643]

@@quezster The title is at the beginning. It's "Lautenmusik von Silvius Leopold Weiss"

[@elimcdougal3698]

follow your curiosities and you will be forever rewarded

[@katideb1107]

Same here!

[@melindalemmon2149]

I so wish I had. Now a wait for the opportunity in heaven. I long for duets with the love of my life.

[@excelsior999]

Happy to hear Hoppy!

[@juanboscocruzfierro8096]

Precioso...! Infinito...!...gracias por ser y estar...!💗🤗⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

[@Yanina300]

Magical melody..... magical music.....

[@viewfromwilmington]

His stately tempo in the passacaglia works beautifully. The gigue is refreshing.

[@marcoslazcano3860]

Thanks for this. This is the first time I'm listening to it and wow, it's an amazing journey.

[@rolandkluttig4237]

Wie kann man so perfekt spielen, göttlich

[@pappalorenzo]

Everything noble and everything beautiful, I needed this right this moment.... thank you ❤

[@taylordiclemente5163]

Glorious

[@tateharmann3057]

This is sublime - thank you for sharing!

[@pascualodoghertycarame40]

Magnífico, no en vano es el inspirador de la moderna vigencia de los instrumentos antiguos de cuerda pulsada. Técnica, musicalidad y conocimiento musicologico. Un referente para esta generación de laudistas ( y vihuelistas)

[@robbrown8483]

The performance of the Tombeau for Logy is incredible. If there is one better, I haven’t heard it. Simply transcendental composing and performing.

[@molllev8227]

Dank voor deze heel bijzondere opname uit 1977! En ook voor de eveneens bijgevoegde toelichting door Hopkinson Smith!

[@thomasc390]

🌼 Thank you! 🌼

[@shaughnfourie304]

CAPITAL LETTERS BEAUTIFUL

[@Sergio_deus]

Masterful, from begging to end ♥ thank you for sharing

[@luxxianalux6769]

The best lute music...

[@tumanmisty1767]

Merveilleux ❣️

[@radkakolebacova11]

This is such an inexpressible beauty! I have been coming back to this over the years, being so very grateful...

[@markwilliams3174]

My all time favourite Weiss composition is Passagaille @ 42:48 minutes. Played very slowly at first but with beautiful melodic contour and phrasing in the variations.

[@AndSendMe]

The articulation in the bass is outstanding. Completely beyond anyone else. That someone with a mind of as much scope as his chose the lute as his life's work is a blessing that will echo through the ages.

[@MrLuridan]

A fantastic performance indeed! You might enjoy the playing of Robert Barto, and also Anton Birula and Anna Kowalska if you like baroque lute.

[@AndSendMe]

@@MrLuridan Thanks for the leads. I have never warmed to Barto's playing, or the Luteduo's either, I'm more of a William Waters, James Holland, Toyohiko Satoh (and a Japanese student of his whose name sadly escapes me), Evangelina Mascardi, Alberto Crugnola guy.

[@MrLuridan]

@@AndSendMe Nice! All awesome players, no doubt. Cathy Liddell’s cd of French baroque lute is pretty awesome, too, if you can find it. Out of curiosity, what do you think of O’Dette’s Bach recordings? Or Lutz Kirchof’s?

[@AndSendMe]

@@MrLuridan I will look into the Bach this weekend, and I think I have the Liddell CD somewhere. Sneak preview: I have been revisiting O'Dette's ren lute CDs which were once my go-to recordings, and even the more recent ones I found to have surprising tonal imbalances and not much singing quality in the top voice. Kirchof: I am very fond of his playing and even tone on the Air de Cour CD, but I wouldn't argue that's how it "ought" to be done.

[@francoispallud1215]

magique

[@emanuelagarda2410]

Beautiful ❤

[@yotrakzproductions7324]

Great stuff here. I like it.

[@robynforman3072]

Bravo. Captivating. Greetings from England

[@amparoospina562]

Espectacular

[@matthewpering8091]

Though the music of Weiss is good, hearing it on an instrument made in 1755 makes it very, very special. There is almost a harpsicord quality to it, that I don't believe could be repeated on a modern instrument. I would love t6 know what wood the back of this instrument is made of. The front is undoubtedly spruce. But the wood of the back does effect how the sound is projected, as well as the timber of the sound.

[@lawrencedodd7013]

It's made of rosewood with ivory lines.

[@beasheerhan4482]

Dear Matthew, it's not just the wood that affects the sound, but the heights and widths of the soundboard braces (more important than the quality of Spruce) and the depth of the bowl, most particularly under the bridge, as that influences the sound heavily, as well. The complexity of luthierie is that many many details have to be balanced, and that requires a luthier to listen carefully to every area of the vibrating surfaces, and then scrape and sand those areas to get the exact right sound he is intending - if he has enough ability to intend something, because many many luthiers do not have that ability - not now and not then.

[@eduardoguajardo1490]

Excelente

[@AlimentodosDeuses]

top demais um dia chegaremos lá

[@DerlyPintosTapia]

Los adornos de Hopkinson son excelentes , sus ornamentos son como los de la época, sabía lo que hacía..

[@javierdiazsantana]

The bass of this particular instrument is amazing

[@beasheerhan4482]

Another way of saying it is that the bass and midrange on this instrument are very nice - mysterious, yet clear. The treble, while bright, is rather crude and not in any way beguiling.

[@knurd75]

@@beasheerhan4482Is it, though? Another way of saying it, I mean.

[@javierdiazsantana]

@@beasheerhan4482 The overall sound of the instrument is magnificent and monstrous, in the good sense of it, almost as an organ, extremely deep yet cutting and balanced, refined timbre

[@AndSendMe]

@@beasheerhan4482 The treble is very likely intentional as it is in keeping with what Robert Lundberg called a 'covered' sound, reflecting Germanic tone preferences of the era. Beware the tendency to apply modern idealizations to understanding the historical lute. The historical instruments and record point to something rather less effete than the consensus of the rebirth would have it.

[@beasheerhan4482]

@@AndSendMe Fantastic answer, Dear And! Nobody is being 'modern' here. I have listened to many lutes, historic and otherwise, and this treble is not a great one, not in any way. It is, however ,respectable, and the overall sound of this instrument is very pleasing. An historic lute that Hoppy played with a much better treble? The Railich lute from the 1640s.

[@aaronhuffman3343]

26:05 Fantasie

[@ManuelTavares]

It seems easy but its like listening to a God playing.

[@Warum679]

such a terrific sound !

[@Ferdinandus1955]

A terrific comment!

[@gustavo_invisible2825]

putoooo

[@walau11]

If I had to keep only one record, it would certainly be this one.

[@MegaCirse]

En vous baladant dans les prés du présent, vous pouvez cueillir des bouquets de fleurs folles et improbables, revenir avec de somptueux extraits de ce musicien sensible et écorché et vous dire que vous gagnez parfois du temps à ignorer tant de ces musiques contemporaines redondantes & futiles pour gagner en force et en plénitude

[@marionjuettges6122]

Very special. Love it. - One short passage is almost identical to a segment of Bach's Chaconne.... Makes me wonder: who was first.

[@paulcaswell2813]

They knew each other too, which makes it even more difficult. Look at their dates also - pretty much identical. I doubt we'll ever know. Much like much of Purcell and Playford in England...

[@hansmueller1265]

Hi, Joannes, thanks for the excellent recording! I have heared some of the pieces on the radio decades ago and love this recording of the Weiss pieces a lot. Regarding the instrument I have a slight correction. The swan necked lute by Widhalm has 13 choirs: the two top strings are single and all the others double are double. as can be seen also on the picture (24 pegs in the two pegboxes).

[@paulcaswell2813]

Interesting to compare with Lindberg's recording of Weiss on the 1590 Bauwolf instrument (a mere 11 courses, two top single-strung).

[@melindalemmon2149]

Barto will always be my man.

[@astroalex19]

He is so perfect... technical perfection and italian passion.. Klaudina Zolnierek is fantastic (and most beautiful), but maybe she should take a swim in the mediterrean see...

[@user-zg7bw7lb6u]

Flash back I feel sad I forgot his brilliance

[@user-zg7bw7lb6u]

It really brings the Renaissance back

[@Pladderkasse]

Except this is baroque period music, which is a 100 years later. Stylistically, very different from renaissance music.

[@RenatoCaruso]

ciao

[@SUPERBURLBOYROY]

I have moles all over my body

[@vithayavosbein1362]

very beautiful....

[@steves.auckerman5966]

Coskun Sabah Solo just type that in. Youll see he is the only man that can keep up with this legend.