Benedetto Marcello(1686-1739)

Ten Sonatas for Harpsichord Opus 3.
Laberinto sopra il clavicembalo in B flat major.
La stravaganza in C major.

Roberto Loreggian - Harpsichord Soloist.
Total Time: 136:49.
Chandos/Chaconne 0671 - 2 CD Set.

Summary for the Energized Serious Collector: Conserve your energy.

I had planned this review to be significantly more negative than it turns
out to be.  Just to be sure that I totally disliked Marcello's harpsichord
sonatas, I kept listening to them for a few more hours.  And wouldn't you
know that they started growing on me a little.  I'm not at a point where I
find the music to be from the pen of a master, but Marcello does compose
some fine cheerful/happy music and can be exciting at times as well.

There are major limitations to consider.  Marcello writes enjoyable
tunes, not gorgeous melodies.  His fast movements, and that's most of them,
are exciting but never thrilling.  His joy is surface-bound and flighty;
there's no depth or subtlety.  The harpsichord sound can be brittle on top
and rather oppressive on the bottom.  These sonatas do not compare well to
Marcello's excellent vocal works which display a much greater range of
emotional depth and diversity.

You might ask if all worthy recordings have to be of great works.  Isn't
it enough sometimes to have recordings of good and cheerful music? My
answer would be that only great music warrants a premium price, and that's
my basic gripe with the Chandos 2-CD set which costs as much as six Naxos
discs.  I really don't think that this particular venture is worth the
cost; mid-price or lower would be more in line with the value of the music.

The least rewarding Sonatas are the ones in major keys; they can be a
little mind-numbing with their superficial cheer going on and on.  This
becomes evident as the first three sonatas in the set are in a major key.
It's quite a relief when the first minor key sonata enters the picture.
Marcello also has an inclination for shooting himself in the foot.  The
first movement of Sonata No. 1 is a good example.  It begins with a mighty
fine motif which degenerates into a banal tune that any average person on
the planet could come up with.  To top it off, Marcello keeps returning to
the banal theme again and again.

Don's Conclusions: If you must have this set of Marcello's Opus 3
Harpsichord Sonatas, I advise raising the bass level and whatever controls
you have to enhance richness so that the music's depth *sounds* more
intense.  Want Italian? Scarlatti is a much better choice than Marcello.
Going north, discs from Fischer, Kuhlau, Forberger, and a number of other
composers are also better selections.  But if you're content with good
music played well and selling at top price, Marcello's Harpsichord Sonatas
will suffice as well as any other recordings at this quality level.  I
really don't know what I'm going to do with my set, since it likely will
gather dust once I put it in the main library.  The set is best for the
happy-go-lucky person without high expectations.

Don Satz
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