The theorbo is a plucked instrument of the lute family, with an extended neck and a second peg-board. Due to extended bass range it was used in the early Italian operas and in the basso continuo, the accompanying instrumental ensemble. Swedish theorbist Simon Linne chose an adventurous programme for his first Brilliant Clasics album: the complete surviving works for theorbo by Michelango Bartolotti, alongside works by Robert de Visee (the best known composer in this genre) and Le Moyne, of whom hardly anything is known, except that he must have been a virtuoso on his instrument. Simon Linne is a much sought-after theorbist who appears both as soloist as in ensemble, and has collaborated in recordings for Hyperion, Sony, and Ricercar.
C**S
Great recording among few available for solo theorbo
The theorbo, or chitarrone, was developed in Italy at the end of the sixteenth century and is the largest member of the lute family. It has 14 courses, or strings; of these 6 or 8 are fretted and the remaining are basses played only with the plucking thumb. (you cannot press them down on any fret) It has a big sound and was used mainly for basso continuo purposes, although many solo compositions have survived.This recording is exclusively dedicated to the solo repertory and has Italian composers such as Bartolloti, whose oeuvre is hard to find on recordings, and Frenchmen such as De Visée and Le Moyne, also a rarity among theorbists.I have several solo theorbo recordings and this is among my favorites; highly recommended.
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