This is an arrangement for mandolin quartet by Andy Boden of the second movement -- the Rondeau or Rondo -- of Purcell's Abdelazer Suite. Many people will recognise this tune as it was used as the main theme in Benjamin Britten's "The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra" and is a mainstay of the "popular classics" repertoire. Andy posted the sheet music for this arrangement a few months ago over in the classical forum: Link. I've recorded his arrangement on: Mandolin 1: 1890s Umberto Ceccherini Italian bowlback mandolin Mandolin 2: Mid-Missouri M-0W mandolin Mandola: Mid-Missouri M-111 octave mandolin Mandocello: Troubadour Lionheart bouzouki tuned down to E Same recording with pretty pictures: Martin
I've been struck dumb! All I can say is bravo...
Martin, that's astounding! I can imagine the effort that took to record. What a nice blend you got across your instruments. Thanks for posting it for all of us here. And I love that bowlback.
I love it Martin....
Awesome stuff!
Superb. You have not only mastered the music but also the technology to put all the parts together.
Thanks for all the kind comments! Baroque music is well-suited to the mandolin and this one falls nicely under the fingers. The Rondeau is the best-known movement from Purcell's Abdelazer Suite, but several of the others work well with the same instrumentation. Here are two more, the third movement (Air) and the fifth (Minuet). For these two, the mandocello part sits a bit higher than in the Rondeau and I've played it on the Mid-Mo octave instead of the bouzouki. Otherwise same instrumentation as before: Martin
I concur with Marcelyn, the blend is outstanding. A choir of mandolins! One of your very best yet, Martin.
I really enjoyed both of these recordings. The Rondeau is probably my favourite among your clips as far as I have seen them. It does work very nicely on your instruments, and it's a great arrangement.
Following on from my previous recordings of Purcell's Abdelazer Suite, here are two more parts: No. 4 Air and No. 8 Hornpipe. The hornpipe starts at 2:55 in the video, if you want to skip directly to it. Mandolin 1: 1915 Embergher bowlback Mandolin 2: Mid-Missouri M-0W Mandola 1: Mid-Mo octave mandolin (Air)/Ozark tenor guitar (hornpipe) Mandola 2: Mid-Missouri M-111 octave mandolin In a nice example of cross-genre fertilisation, shortly after Purcell composed it the hornpipe was adapted into an English county dance and included in the 1698 edition of Playford's Dancing Master under the name "Hole In The Wall", without crediting Purcell. It's now a moderately well-known session tune, either under that name or as "Purcell's Hornpipe". It also appears in no fewer than four (!) Jane Austen movie adaptations: Becoming Jane, Pride and Prejudice, Wives and Daughters and Emma, each time as the tune for the inevitable dance scene. Martin
