Description
Leszek Potasinski's new recording, Thesaurus harmonicus: Music of the Polish Renaissance , is an album presenting repertoire that, although highly regarded and performed throughout Europe in its era, has received only a few phonographic editions in Poland. The selection of compositions by Jakub Polak, Wojciech Dlugoraj, Diomedes Cato, and Eustache du Caurroy demonstrates the richness and grandeur of Polish lute culture (and its connections with Poland) in the 16th and early 17th centuries. The album's greatest artistic value lies in the transcriptions by Leszek Potasinski. Modelled on the original tablature, they preserve authentic polyphony without flattening the texture or homogenizing the voices--as often happens in less meticulous arrangements. Most of the recordings were made on a contemporary classical guitar by Polish luthier Leszek Gajdzik. The instrument sounds exceptionally refined here, with a warm, deep, yet luminously clear tone. One gets the impression that Potasinski and the sound engineers were searching for a way to restore the lute's sonic characteristics to the guitar. Thesaurus harmonicus is a testament to the craftsmanship of the old masters and the contemporary artist who, with complete dedication, brings their music to life.
