Table of Contents
Infinite Refrain. Music of Love’s Refuge
Randall Scotting, contratenor
Jorge Navarro Colorado, tenor
Academy of Ancient Music
Laurence Cummings, director
Signal Records SIGCD769
★★★★★
Excellent album by the Academy of Ancient Music, under the direction of its owner, Lawrence Cummings, and with two solo singers: the countertenor Randall Scotting and the tenor Jorge Navarro Colorado. The program is made up of music from the Seicento, with the theme of love as the common thread and where we can listen to music by Monteverdi, Stradella, Cavalli or Frescobaldi, among others.
Lawrence Cumming’s direction on the harpsichord is attentive and precise, with a well-realized basso continuo. In fact, his specialization in opera is evident in this type of recordings where voice and accompaniment are perfectly united. In addition to the harpsichord, the harp, the lirone, the violin bass and two theorbos show us a large group of basso continuo, full of diverse colors and grandiloquence, in contrast to the high voices of the strings that are reduced to two violins and two violas, which gives a more chamber sound to the orchestral texture, allowing, at the same time, greater flexibility in the ornamentation.
Without a doubt the best-known piece on the album is ‘I look at you‘ of The coronation of Poppeaexcellently performed by the solo singers. Although it is not specified in the album booklet, in reality this aria was not written by Monteverdi but by Ferrari and as the parody technique was very common at the time, Monteverdi decided to include it as the finale of his opera.
The timbre of the voice of Randall Scotting’s countertenor stands out, which in many pieces seems to be a high tenor voice by using little falsetto, which makes it a very natural voice that manages to merge with the voice of Jorge Navarro.
In addition to the vocal pieces, three instrumental pieces are included: the Touched fourth of Frescobaldi performed on the harpsichord by Cummings himself, of refined imagination and stylus phantasticusand two balls for the string instrumental ensemble, but he could have included a woodwind instrument, such as a recorder, in case he had wanted to play more with those questions and answers so typical of this style of music.
Without a doubt this music is the antecedent of the future great operas in the history of music.
By Angel Villagrasa Pérez
In what ways do the vocal interplay between the contratenor and tenor enhance the emotional depth of the works featured in the album?
Thank you for agreeing to this interview about the recently released album, “Infinite Refrain. Music of Love’s Refuge,” by the Academy of Ancient Music. We have Randall Scotting, contratenor, and Jorge Navarro Colorado, tenor, with us today alongside director Laurence Cummings and the Academy of Ancient Music.
Firstly, I would like to discuss the theme of love that ties together the various works on this album. Can you tell us more about how you approached the interpretation of these pieces, both individually and as an ensemble, given the common thread of love?
Randall, as a contratenor, what does it mean to you to be part of an ensemble that explores music from the Seicento era, a time when this vocal range was relatively new and innovative? And Jorge, as a tenor, how does your voice compliment the contratenor’s in these works?
Director Laurence, you have expertise in opera and directing ensembles. How did this background influence your approach to directing the Academy of Ancient Music in this recording? Additionally, can you tell us more about your use of the harpsichord as the basso continuo for this album?
Moving on to the instrumental pieces included on the album, the “Touched fourth” by Frescobaldi is a beautiful demonstration of the harpsichord’s abilities. Can you tell us more about your performance of this piece and the choice to have it as an instrumental interlude?
Lastly, as the review mentions, there is a shift towards increased use of basso continuo in this period of music, away from previous generations. How did you ensure that your ensemble’s performance reflected this change in style while still maintaining the elegance and beauty of the music?
Thank you all for your time. It’s clear that this album is a testament to the enduring power of love through music across centuries.
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