Abel: The Drexel Manuscript, 29 Pieces for Viola Da Gamba

Carl Friedrich Abel was known in 18th-century London as the greatest gamba player of his day. Having been taught in Leipzig by JS Bach, Abel later worked closely with ‘the London Bach', Johann Christian, and his own music shares a quality of liminal fantasy with that of his friend, poised as they were (in retrospect) on the threshold of the Baroque and Classical eras.

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Composer: Carl Friedrich Abel
Artist: Alejandro Marías (viola da gamba)

Having moved to London for good in 1759, Abel soon attracted the admiration of the greatest English portraitist of the day, Thomas Gainsborough. The artist painted the composer, and played the gamba himself. It may well be that Abel wrote this collection of quasi-improvised solo works towards the end of his life with Gainsborough in mind. At any rate, the ‘Drexel’ nomenclature arose only once the manuscript of the pieces found its way into the hands of the philanthropist Joseph William Drexel in 1877.
As Alejandro Marías remarks in his booklet essay for this remarkable new recording, the manuscript asks more questions than it supplies answers. ‘Why did he compile them, for whom, why in that order, did he ever play any of these scores, or was it an attempt to capture what inspiration had led him to improvise the night before?’
For Marías, the collection is nonetheless ‘one of the most important works in viola da gamba literature. It represents the last great viola da gamba player's most intimate moments, where he found the formal and stylistic freedom to express his deepest emotions, using his virtuosity to put it at the service of the music and not to make a mere technical display, however difficult some of these pieces may be. Recording it is one of the greatest challenges a viola da gamba player can face.’

Tracklist:
00:00:0 Allegro for Viola da Gamba Solo in D Major, Drexel Manuscript No. 1 WKO186 A1:5
00:03:43 Piece for Viola da Gamba Solo in D Major, Drexel Manuscript No. 2 WKO187 A1:6
00:06:33 Minuet for Viola da Gamba Solo in D Major, Drexel Manuscript No.3 WKO188 A1:7
00:09:06 Adagio for Viola da Gamba Solo in D Major, Drexel Manuscript No.4 WKO189 A1:8
00:11:00 Vivace for Viola da Gamba Solo in D Major, Drexel Manuscript No. 5 WKO190 A1:9
00:14:12 Andante for Viola da Gamba Solo in D Major, Drexel Manuscript No. 6 WKO191 A1:10
00:18:47 Piece for Viola da Gamba Solo in D Major, Drexel Manuscript No. 7 WKO192 A1:11
00:22:30 Piece for Viola da Gamba Solo in D Major, Drexel Manuscript No. 9 A1:13
00:23:04 Piece for Viola da Gamba Solo in D Major, Drexel Manuscript No. 10 WKO194 A1:14
00:25:00 Piece for Viola da Gamba Solo in D Major, Drexel Manuscript No. 11 WKO195 A1:15
00:27:40 Piece for Viola da Gamba Solo in D Major, Drexel Manuscript No. 8 WKO193 A1:12
00:29:10 Fuga for Viola da Gamba Solo in D Major, Drexel Manuscript No. 12 WKO196 A1:16
00:31:42 Minuet for Viola da Gamba Solo in D Major, Drexel Manuscript No. 17 WKO200 A1:21
00:34:36 Piece for Viola da Gamba Solo in D Major, Drexel Manuscript No. 16 A1:20
00:35:02 Piece for Viola da Gamba Solo in D Major, Drexel Manuscript No. 13 WKO197 A1:17
00:37:33 Allegro for Viola da Gamba Solo in D Major, Drexel Manuscript No. 14 WKO198 A1:18
00:41:18 Minuet for Viola da Gamba Solo in D Major, Drexel Manuscript No. 18 WKO201 A1:22
00:44:39 Piece for Viola da Gamba Solo in D Major, Drexel Manuscript No. 15 WKO199 A1:19
00:46:51 Piece for Viola da Gamba Solo in D Major, Drexel Manuscript No. 19 WKO202 A1:23
00:49:20 Piece for Viola da Gamba Solo in D Major, Drexel Manuscript No. 20 WKO203 and 204 A1:24
00:53:08 Piece for Viola da Gamba Solo in D Major, Drexel Manuscript No. 21 A1:25
00:53:50 Piece for Viola da Gamba Solo in D Minor, Drexel Manuscript No. 22 WKO205 A1:26
00:56:14 Piece for Viola da Gamba Solo in D Minor, Drexel Manuscript No. 23 WKO206 A1:27
00:58:35 Allegro for Viola da Gamba Solo in D Minor, Drexel Manuscript No. 24 WKO207 A1:28
01:01:43 Piece for Viola da Gamba Solo in D Minor, Drexel Manuscript No. 25 WKO208 A1:29
01:06:46 Adagio for Viola da Gamba Solo in D Minor, Drexel Manuscript No. 26 WKO209 A1:30
01:10:01 Menuet for Viola da Gamba Solo in D Major, Drexel Manuscript No. 27 WKO210 A1:31
01:13:37 Allegretto for Viola da Gamba Solo in A Major, Drexel Manuscript No. 28 WKO211 A1:32
01:18:14 Allegro for Viola da Gamba Solo in A Major, Drexel Manuscript No. 29 WKO212 A1:33

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