Padding Archives - NativeDSD Music

Ricercati [DSD EP]

Sjoerd Staal — Thu, 27 Feb 2025 14:00:53 +0000

On Ricercati, a DSD EP, Matthijs van der Moolen celebrates all the qualities of the Sackbut. Two brand new works for Sackbut (also known as Baroque Trombone) by Martijn Padding are paired with early music pieces by Marais and Virgiliano as well as a mysterious anonymous composition.

Enjoy the full range of one of the oldest instruments from the western music tradition. Travel back to the renaissance on the wings of the beautiful acoustics in which these recordings where made and head back to modern times to see how nowadays music is inspired and fuelled by centuries of musical tradition and history.

Matthijs van der Moolen, Sackbut (Baroque Trombone)

The post Ricercati [DSD EP] appeared first on NativeDSD Music.

Fantastissimus

Sjoerd Staal — Fri, 29 Sep 2023 07:00:13 +0000

The Castello Consort‘s debut album Fantastissimus from Navis Classics is entirely dedicated to the Stylus Phantasticus. Featuring works from the Renaissance alongside brand new compositions by Dutch composer Martijn Padding.

It’s a complete picture is created of what the Stylus Phantasticus has to offer in all its colors, virtuosity but also tranquility and a great sense of musical freedom. In a sense, everything in this style is an exponent and the title of the album should also be seen in that light, celebrating this fantastic style.

“To us, ‘Stylus Phantasticus’ is a playground that offers endless opportunities to explore new sound colors, musical characters and ways of improvisation.”

Financial Support for the album was provided by SENA Muziekproductiefonds and donations via Voordekunst.

—
Recording Producer Daan van Aalst

The Stylus Phantasticus carries an immense challenge but also a huge opportunity for recording producers. The virtuosity and broad spectrum of colors are destined to interact with the best church-acoustics you can find and we found that sound in the Mennonite church in Haarlem where Gustav Leonard recorded numerous discs in the past.

The sound quality is enhanced by the meantone intonation and microtonal organ that can actually play ‘in tune’ in stead of equal temperament. Add to that an inspired performance and great understanding of the music itself by the musicians and from that point every logic in a microphone setup works. What you will hear is pure microphone technique without any filter or other artificial tool. Enjoy your ride!

The Castello Consort about the project

We like to explore different types of timbres and other ways of expressing ourselves through 17th century music. In the very beginning we focused mainly on early Italian baroque music. We recently started broadening both our repertoire and the size of our ensemble. With each program we look for a certain sound (and instrumentation) that is most convincing for the music we play. In ‘Fantastissimus’ we challenged ourselves even more by working with a contemporary composer, something we really enjoyed.

We felt that there was a lot of room for creative freedom when creating the program for this album. Martijn Padding was very interested in our favorite repertoire and we presented him with several compositions that were in some way related to the Stylus Phantasticus. Inspired by all these composers, Martijn composed his own ‘Stylus Phantasticus’ collection, and we looked for the best early music to combine with Martijn’s completed work. When selecting these pieces, we did not want to limit ourselves too much by focusing on just one short period of history. Our goal was to find music that could be combined naturally with Martijn’s pieces. We approached the entire program as a composition in itself, connected both to the Stylus Phantasticus and to the spirit of our ensemble.

From the Booklet

“We love exploring different kinds of sound colors and other ways of expressing ourselves through 17th-century music. In the very beginning we focused mostly on early Italian baroque music for small chamber music settings. More recently, we started broadening both our repertoire and the size of our ensemble. For each program we look for a sound (and instrumentation) that is most convincing for the music we play. In ‘Fantastissimus’ we challenged ourselves even more by working together with a contemporary composer, something that we enjoyed very much.”

“We felt that there was a lot of space for creative freedom in the making of the program. Martijn Padding was very interested in hearing our favorite repertoire, and we presented many compositions to him that connected with the Stylus Phantasticus in one way or another.

Inspired by all of those composers, Martijn composed his own ‘Stylus Phantasticus’ collection, and we looked for the best early music to combine with Martijn’s finished work. While selecting these pieces, we did not want to constrain ourselves too much by focusing on only one short period in history. Our aim was to find music that would naturally weave through Martijn’s pieces. We approached the complete program as a composition in itself, resembling both the Stylus Phantasticus and our ensemble’s spirit.”

Castello Consort

Elise Dupont, Violin
Willem van der Sijde (Amsterdam, 1691). On loan from the Nationaal Muziekinstrumenten Fonds.

Anne-Linde Visser, Viola da Gamba & Cello
Gamba: Anton Wiegers (Dussen, 1980). Cello: Henry Jay (London, c.1750).

Matthijs van der Moolem, Sackbut
Aron Vajna, after anonymous Italian instrument (c.1560) in the Accademia Filarmonica di Verona
(Basel, 2021). Played with a copy of the mouthpiece from the same collection, attributed to Schnitzer.

Menno van Delft, Organ
Orgelmakerij Reil, after 17h-century North Italian examples (Heerde, 2020).

Emma Huijsser, Harp
Dario Pontiggia, after Barberini (early 17th century) in the Museo degli Strumenti Musicali di Roma.

Giulio Quirici, Theorbo
Jaume Bosser Artal, after Matteo Sellas (Barcelona, 2013). Given name: Ludovica.

Sakura Goto, Violin
Anonymous (probably Tyrol, c.1800).

Benny Aghassi, Dulcian
K. Bickhardt & B. Junghänel (Germany, c.1985).

Alon Portal, Viola da Gamba
François Bodart, after Nicholas Bertrand, (Belgium, 1990).

The post Fantastissimus appeared first on NativeDSD Music.

Reports from the Low Country (Andriessen, Padding, Kox, Van der Aa)

Sjoerd Staal — Fri, 20 Sep 2019 00:00:00 +0000

This album gives an impression of the broad stylistic spectrum of Dutch music over a period of more than fifty years. The programme focuses on an instrument that for more than two centuries was neglected by composers: the double bass. Despite some exceptions, the instrument only played a role within the orchestra. Louis Andriessen, Hans Kox, Martijn Padding and Michel van der Aa have enriched the double bass repertoire with music in which the instrument takes up a solo role in a concerto with orchestra, and is also heard in a small ensemble and even on its own. The search for special sounds and tonal combinations, stylistic open-mindedness and the free handling of traditional and modern styles, jazz and pop music – all these are conspicuous aspects of Dutch music.

Louis Andriessen, now internationally the best known Dutch composer, wrote Elegy for cello or double bass and piano as far back as the 1950s, while Hans Kox’s Four Studies for double bass solo date from 1988.

The most recent pieces on this album, Reports from the Low Country by Padding and For the Time Being by Van der Aa, are not least inspired by the famous Dutch double bass player Rick Stotijn, who features as the soloist on this recording.

The post Reports from the Low Country (Andriessen, Padding, Kox, Van der Aa) appeared first on NativeDSD Music.

I Was Like WOW

Sjoerd Staal — Tue, 23 May 2017 00:00:00 +0000

JacobTV (Jacob ter Veldhuis) composed the piece I Was Like WOW! for me in the summer of 2006. At the time, I associated wow primarily with something positive or sensational, and I was expecting a very joyful composition.

When I started working on the piece, though, it turned out to be a very different kind of wow. An American soldier says, I was like wow at the moment when he is describing his violent experiences during the Iraq war. This showed me that words and exclamations like wow are used to indicate that something has made a deep impression, regardless of whether that impression is positive or negative; you can be impressed by something in all kinds of different ways.

That’s what gave me the idea of finding pieces for my new album, I was like WOW that had all impressed me deeply for all different kinds of reasons, pieces that for some reason had given me a wow feeling. I wanted present the widest possible spectrum of repertoire in order to convince listeners that the trombone is a fantastic, beautiful, and very versatile instrument.

The post I Was Like WOW appeared first on NativeDSD Music.

Jörgen Van Rijen

Sjoerd Staal — Mon, 21 Sep 2015 00:00:00 +0000

Since my early youth, music has played an important role in my life. I had the privilege of growing up in a musical household, and being encouraged from the beginning to learn to play an instrument.

As early as my fourth year I wanted to play the trombone. Since my eight year, when I actually started, my love for this instrument has only grown stronger, culminating for now with my appointment as principal trombonist with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra.

The trombone has many wonderful aspects and so I have tried, on this album to emphasize its versatility. Not only its style is rich and diverse – its repertoire extends from early music to the contemporary scene, and from romantically melodious to powerful and virtuosic – but also the range of scorings in which it is used is very wide.

So I am very pleased that so many of my colleagues and other wonderful musicians have been willing to work together with me on this special recording project. In addition to a number of ‘classics’ from the trombone repertoire, I have sought out lesser-known and less frequently recorded works, including a brand-new piece by Martijn Padding. All of the pieces have been performed in their original scoring.

Jorgen Van Rijen, Trombone
Alla Libo, Piano (Tracks 2, 3, 4, 6)
Vincent Cortvrint, Piccolo (Tracks 8-11)
Helenus de Rijke, Guitar (Tracks 8-11)
Concertgebouworkest (Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra) (Tracks 1, 3, 12-14)
Ed Spanjaard, Conductor (Tracks 1, 3, 12-14)

The post Jörgen Van Rijen appeared first on NativeDSD Music.

Tintomara

Sjoerd Staal — Thu, 18 Jun 2015 00:00:00 +0000

Tintomara, as this CD is called, is a dualistic figure from The Briar Rose Book by the Swedish author Jonas Love Almqvist (1793-1859); in Folke Rabe’s Tintomara it reflects the male and female character of the trumpet and trombone. Folke Rabe: ‘When I was working on this little piece I spent a lot of time thinking about the concept of male and female. The penetrating sound of the trumpet, and its role in military fanfares, are primarily associated with typically male qualities, while the trumpet is really a soprano instrument. Its warm sound and attractive glissandos (sliding notes) perhaps evoke motherly associations, but the range of the trombone corresponds to the male voice. Not to mention the trombone as a metaphor for male sexuality, when Movitz climbs into bed with his instrument! (He is a character in the songs of Carl Michael Bellman, which are set in the taverns of eighteenth-century Stockholm.)’ On this CD programme the performers explore this versatile, ambiguous character, the range of colours, possibilities and even boundaries of the combination of trumpet and trombone, in which the soprano voice of the trumpet forms a wonderful combination with the tenor of the trombone.

The post Tintomara appeared first on NativeDSD Music.