SEQUENTIA!

Daan van Aalst, the man that is Navis Classics, introduces the newest DSD Release by cellist Joachim Eijlander.

It was time for Joachim Eijlander to explore more of the Cello Solo repertoire after launching two successful Bach albums. This time he found his way through a series of Italian Capriccio’s by Joseph Dall’Abaco and Alfredo Piatti.

The Sequentia or ‘sequence’ lies at the heart of this recording. Listen carefully to the caprices of these two composers, and you will often hear that the building blocks of the music consist of sequences in couplets: themes or material introduced and then repeated, and into which the performer can throw subtle variations if the sequence invites such exploration. There are other associations that can be drawn from this title. Fairly or not, sets of caprices such as these are rarely performed in their entirety during concerts, so their use as a ‘sequel’ to other music is an important consideration. These solo cello works also form a sequel to Joachim Eijlander’s previous recordings of J.S. Bach’s Cello Suites on Navis Classics NC15003 and NC15007, both in the chronology of their production and that of their composers.

The music of Alfredo Piatti, known as a virtuoso cellist from the 19th century, has been on the menu of cellists for centuries. Joseph Dall’Abaco, son of Evaristo Dall’Abaco, was born in Brussels but his works are definitely related to the Italian way of writing.

Important notice; where Dall’Abaco had his roots in the Baroque era, Piatti can certainly be linked to the Romantic period. You can say that Joachim followed the path of this style of writing throughout two centuries.

For this recording we chose to record in the small hall of de Doelen in Rotterdam. Where as the Doopsgezinde Kerk Haarlem was perfect for Bach, we thought of a different venue for these Capriccio’s. Rotterdam turned out to be the best option since the instrument itself is more in the center of

attention and less covered in the acoustics of a rather large church. This music is truly about the cello and almost all possible sounds that you can make on a cello are present on this album. You are on front row so to say!

I recorded Joachim in DSD 256 using the Horus by Merging Technologies. The microphone setup is simple and logical. A pair of omni’s as main pair, supported by a small pair of semi cardioïds to blend in more detail. For a nice decay I used a wide pair of omni’s in the hall. Very simple but effective and pure.