Froberger: Toccatas and Partitas / Meditation / Lamentation On the Death of Ferdinand Iii

Featuring

Sergio Vartolo
Johann Jakob Froberger

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Performer Biography

Sergio Vartolo, the harpsichordist, has received multiple awards for his recordings, including the Preis der Deutschen Schallplattenkritik and Diapason d'Or.

Composer Biography

Johann Jacob Froberger, a German musician, was trained in Italy through the generosity of princes who were deeply influenced by Latin and Italian culture.

Composition History

Froberger's 'Lament on Monsieur Blancheroche' was inspired by the tragic death of his friend, the Parisian lutenist Monsieur Blancheroche, who died after a fall.

Instruments

This recording uses two different harpsichords: an Italian harpsichord for the Toccatas (A=415Hz) and a 17th-century French 2-manual harpsichord for the Partitas, Lament, and Tombeau (A=390Hz).

Composition History

Froberger's first compositional phase was heavily influenced by the Italian master Frescobaldi, particularly his contrapuntal style and genres like Fantasie, Ricercari, Capricci, and Canzoni.

Composition History

Froberger composed his 'Plainte faite à Londres' after being robbed on a journey to London, landing penniless, and being kicked out of a church for forgetting to raise the organ bellows as an organ blower.

Historical Context

Froberger's works, including the Méditation, were composed for a 17th-century German society obsessed with death, a theme ever-present due to the deprivations of the Thirty Years War.