Thoughts on the Marshall-Lichtenberg Recording

[coletrickle]

Although I feel a little over my head writing any sort of review about this album...I haven't seen a review or notes on the album thus far on the Cafe, so I thought I would start the conversation. First my disclaimer, while I love classical music, I am not an expert on or, nor and expert on classical or related music composed for the mandolin. That said...

I think this is one the best mandolin recordings produced. I've enjoyed many of Marshall's past albums, both mando centric and non-mando centric, but the recording quality, choice selection and unbrideled communcation between players sets this one apart from me.

The LeClair Sonata VI for Two Violins is an intricate piece I am not familar with, but really enjoyed. Actually all of the pieces on this album with multiple movements are fantastic. Those selections, mixed with two Bandolim compositions, a traditional Bulgarian piece and two Marshall originals, creates a musical tour-de-force that weaves through genre, culture and texture with Marshall and Lichtenberg's exceptional playing the only commonality. Each track evokes a different flavor, mood and emotion from both players and listener. The playing is flawless, but very expressive, melding technical brilliance with a general sense of joy in performing these compostions.

Of course my favorite pieces are the two Bach selections. I may be a bit biased, but Marshall's mandocello sounds so perfect it is almost like hearing those pieces for the first time.

I do have one compliant/negative comment. I was really hoping for some more robust liner notes. Obviously these are two very gifted and very experienced players and they have chosen a set of music for their first album together. I would really like to find out more about the selection of these pieces, the order of the tracks and generally what they have learned about this music while putting this album together. I realize it is more cost efficient to not have liner notes, but to me this is one of the joys of having a CD in your hands as opposed to downloading digital copies. A minor complaint, but something that would have made this a complete package for me.

Like I said...no expert here...just a fan of mandolin music and certainly a big fan of this new recording.

[Alex Timmerman]

Hi coletrickle,

Thanks very much for your review and enthousiasm about the Marshall-Lichtenberg recording. Both are indeed top musicians and it is wonderful that they joint forces and made a CD. I haven't got it yet but certainly will buy it!

Best, Alex.

[MandoNicity]

Thanks for the review. I haven't purchased this yet, but I most certainly will. Mike continues to amaze and impress me with his cross/genre playing. I hold him in the highest regard, and I love Caterinas classical work.

JR

[Charlieshafer]

This past weekend, I did the Baroque double. In a sweet little package came the Marshall-Lichtenberg cd, as well as the latest from Viktoria Mullova, her latest interpretation of the Bach Sonatas and Partitas. If you really like to delve into the history of music that we love to play now, and that means the Bluegrass and old-time, Scots, Irish, you actually do need to give these a listen. If Chris Thile quotes Bach in the middle of his solos, how painful can this old stuff be?

The latest from Mike and Caterina, as Coletrickle says above, is pretty well perfect. Actually, referring to the CD as full-on Baroque is very misleading, but there's no doubt that Bach's influence (as well as the Baroque period in general) runs throughout all the compositions. Of course, most die-hard Bluegrass fans will run screaming from anything labelled "Baroque", but that would be a mistake, as the musical lineage leading from Baroque to Old-Time, Irish, and Scots contemporary music is as direct a path as there is in musical history. True Baroque music is relatively small-scale, somewhat intimate music, usually intended for dance, and is sometimes fast and furious, sometimes soft and tuneful. Gee, sort of like what we're playing now for small crowds.

Anyway, the greatness of the new M&C cd is not just in the playing, which is obviously brilliant and really doesn't need commenting on, but the selection of pieces. Spanning a good 300 years, they represent a great mini-tutorial in this musical evolution/progression. While following the more classical route, as opposed to the English/Scots dance tune/fiddle route, all roads lead to the same place, with modern string compositions, just like the two here from Mike.

So, it may not be one of those cd's you put on and listen to over and over again, but you'll find yourself listening to it far more often than you thought you ever would, even if you are a die-hard bluegrass kind of guy, or girl.

Now, on to the non-mandolin cd. OK, it's not a mandolin cd, but if you think you know Bach, then you have better have listened to one of the world's all-time greatest Baroque violin interpreters, Viktoria Mullova, or else you're out of the loop. After a ten year hiatus, Mullova went back and re-recorded the Bach Partitas and Sonatas. Upon reflection, she grew to pretty much hate her first recording. Why does this matter to mandolin folk? Well, the instrument you're playing was really growing into it's own during that period, and a good many of the "traditional" old time songs we all love to play were lifted from tunes of that period. Listening to the Mullova cd, you can easily pick out about 20 old-time tunes, lifted note for note, from various passages. (Of course, theft works both ways, as Copeland's score to Rodeo includes bits of "Bonapart's Retreat" and "Have You Ever Seen The Devil Uncle Joe")

Anyway, Mullova uses her 1750 Gaudagnini (to hell with the Strad), true hand-made gut strings, tunes it down to A=415, off the original scores, and a more flexible, lighter, baroque bow. The bow allows her to play all four strings at once, as Bach had written, as opposed to the arpeggios which modern players are forced to play. The result is incredible, and you'l hear notes you never knew existed before.

The short cut is this. It's an expensive CD, so if you want a taste of the wellspring of all that we listen to and play now, you can download just a few movements at the buck-a-pop thing from Amazon or itunes. I recommend going straight to Prelude #3 (played by Mike, Chris Thile, and quoted more frequently in solos than any other classical piece, period) and getting three: the Prelude (a #1 hit!), the Gavotte en Rondeau, and the Gigue. Make sure it's Prelude #3, and make sure it's the recoding released in 2009, on the Onyx label. This may be the finest recording of these pieces, ever. $3 makes you an educated genius. Spend it.

[Ken_P]

This past weekend, I did the Baroque double. In a sweet little package came the Marshall-Lichtenberg cd, as well as the latest from Viktoria Mullova, her latest interpretation of the Bach Sonatas and Partitas.

I'm really enjoying the new Mike Marshall & Caterina Lichtenberg album (was there any doubt?), but I have to second the other recommendation as well. I just downloaded the Mullova Bach set from emusic, and it really is wonderful. I've had conflicted feelings about other period performances of the sonatas and partitas, but I have nothing but praise for this new recording. Anyone here who has even the slightest interest in classical music would do well to give these a listen!

[Jim Garber]

Thanks, Charlie, for the recommendation of the Viktoria Mullova recording. I too will prob download it from emusic. I am a sucker for the original instrument recordings and look fwd to listening to hear the subtle and not-so-subtle differences.

[Charlieshafer]

Hey Jim, I think you'll really like it. You can dip your toes in with a few tracks; the whole thing at once is good for hard-core listening or baroque overload, the latter being a pretty dangerous condition, whereupon the listener self-medicates by playing early Monkees and Archies LPs. Is emusic a better service to download from, in your opinion? I've never tried it. Larger file size, or any other reason why you like it?

[John Goodin]

Regarding the Marshall-Lichtenberg CD, I have to say that I really like it. I love that Mike has the courage to write mandocello parts for movements from the Bach solo pieces. I hope there are more to come. I love the sound of the Lichtenberg Woll bowl blended with the Marshall Loar. I especially like the sound of the Leclair sonata. The two Marshall compositions are excellent as well.

I'm listening to the Mullova solo Bach recording on Rhapsody right now and I have to agree that it is really something. Many thanks to Charlieshafer for recommending it.

John G.

[Charlieshafer]

Glad you're all liking Mullova's Bach. I'm still trying to pick a favorite from the Mike and Caterina cd and am failing miserably. It's all just great. Different pieces for different moods, I guess.....

[Richard Walz]

Anyway, Mullova uses her 1750 Gaudagnini (to hell with the Strad), true hand-made gut strings, tunes it down to A=415, off the original scores, and a more flexible, lighter, baroque bow. The bow allows her to play all four strings at once, as Bach had written, as opposed to the arpeggios which modern players are forced to play. The result is incredible, and you'l hear notes you never knew existed before.



nah, the bow of that time did not play 4 strings simultaneously, this is a mis-conception from the 1950s. Chords were arpeggiated.

[Charlieshafer]

nah, the bow of that time did not play 4 strings simultaneously, this is a mis-conception from the 1950s. Chords were arpeggiated.

Not so sure about that, we play with baroque bows, all strings are easy. The music is written for violin, with chords, not arpeggios. You can play chords, easy.

[bratsche]

You guys should put your reviews on Amazon... there still aren't any for this CD up there yet.

After thoroughly enjoying Mike and Caterina's duo offerings on YouTube, I have to put this on my "to get" list.

bratsche