Reviews: Trever Pinnock Plays Works

Trevor Pinnock Plays Works by Arne,J.C. Bach, Byrd, Croft, and Handel ( on Virginals and Harpsichords at the Victoria and Albert Museum)

Anon.: My Lady Wynkfyld's Rownde; Byrd: The Queenes Alman; The Bells; Handel: Suite No. 5 in E Major; Croft: Suite No. 3 in C Minor; Arne: Sonata No. 3 in G; J.C. Bach: Sonata in C Minor, Op. 5, No. 6.

The program was originally produced by CRD in England in 1973 (though it doesn't seem that long ago) and released here by Vanguard in the early '80s. In terms of sonics, the CD surpasses the Vanguard and more or less matches the CRD. Inter­pretively, the young Pinnock shows himself the lively, propulsive contrapun­tist he remains, perhaps a little freer with ornamentation (we were all so devil-may­-care way back then ... ) and more urgent with tempos. His touch is elegant throughout--with special praise for the staccato-cum-agogics in the Ground of the Croft suite. The instruments help to vary the program, Queen Elizabeth's Virginals used in Anon. and Byrd, the Ham House Harpsichord in Handel and Croft, an English Kirckman harpsichord in Arne and Bach. Good show.