CD Reviews Van Eyck
Erik Bosgraaf has recorded an epic masterpiece of fellow Dutchman Jacob van Eyck. There are three CDs and sixty-nine pieces selected from ‘The Flute’s Garden of Delight’ and a comprehensive booklet which contains fascinating information about the works, composer and artist. Behind this ambitious recording is the musicological supervision of Thiemo Wind, the renowned van Eyck scholar, whose superb edition of ‘Lust-hof’ was used for these CDs.
In the recording it is evident that Bosgraaf is a fantastically virtuosic and skilful recorder player. His tone, articulation and phrasing are always precise, varied and beautiful. He succeeds in evoking the sombre deceptive simplicity of ‘Pavaen Lachrymae’ and the expressive beauty of ‘O Holy Blessed Bethlehem’. Most importantly the pieces sound improvised and as Bosgraaf says in his detailed programme notes that it is playful music that demands a very free interpretation. He tries to play van Eyck’s works differently every time for his own amusement and to surprise his audiences. Certainly pieces on the CDs such as ‘Boffons’ are very exciting with a few overblown humorous notes as well as rapid passage work from Bosgraaf. He is also accompanied by Izhar Elias on the guitar on this track as well as on ‘Repicavan’ and ‘Bocxvoetje’ which works really well. Bosgraaf also varies the sound by using at least a dozen different recorders from sopraninos to tenors. Of course van Eyck originally played all these pieces on a soprano recorder but Bosgraaf wisely uses different instrumentation as three CDs of a solo soprano recorder would sound too monotonous! However, Bosgraaf’s interpretation of van Eyck’s music is well researched and as a result his performance is convincing, varied, exciting and enjoyable to listen to.
Oliver Smith
Review appeared in Spring 2008, Vol. 28, No. 1
copyright 2008 The Recorder Magazine / Oliver Smith