David Funck: Stricturæ Viola-di Gambicæ

About

ICE founding cellist Kivie Cahn-Lipman releases this first recording of the complete consort music of little known 17th century composer David Funck, as part of a launch of a new early music division of New Focus Recordings, Olde Focus Recordings.

Audio

# Audio Title/Composer(s) Time
Total Time 42:32

D Major (1)

David Funck (1648-?1699)
Kivie Cahn-Lipman, viol, Rebekah Ahrendt, viola da gamba, Zoe Weiss, viol, Dylan Sauerwald, harpsichord, organ, and gut-strung clavicytherium, Jane Leggiero, viol
01[Fugue]
[Fugue]
1:15
02Saraband and Doubles
Saraband and Doubles
5:33
03Adagio
Adagio
1:44
04Allemand
Allemand
1:26
05Courant
Courant
1:01
06Saraband
Saraband
1:29
07Gique
Gique
1:28
08Meditation sur ma mort future
Meditation sur ma mort future
4:54

D Major (2)

David Funck (1648-?1699)
Kivie Cahn-Lipman, viol, Jane Leggiero, viol, Zoe Weiss, viol, Rebekah Ahrendt, viol, Dylan Sauerwald, harpsichord, organ, and gut-strung clavicytherium
09Sonata
Sonata
3:42
10Allemand
Allemand
1:56
11Courant
Courant
1:06
12Ballo
Ballo
1:06
13Saraband
Saraband
2:14
14Gavott
Gavott
0:42
15Saraband
Saraband
1:10
16Gigue
Gigue
1:22

G Minor

David Funck (1648-?1699)
Kivie Cahn-Lipman, viol, Jane Leggiero, viol, Zoe Weiss, viol, Rebekah Ahrendt, viol, Dylan Sauerwald, harpsichord, organ, and gut-strung clavicytherium
17Intrad
Intrad
1:52
18Allemand
Allemand
1:38
19Courant
Courant
1:13
20Saraband
Saraband
1:39
21Air - Ballo - Air
Air - Ballo - Air
1:30
22Courant
Courant
0:58
23Lamento
Lamento
1:49
24Saraband
Saraband
1:08
25Gigue
Gigue
0:48
26Toccata prima
Toccata prima
2:48

G Major

David Funck (1648-?1699)
Kivie Cahn-Lipman, viol, Jane Leggiero, viol, Zoe Weiss, viol, Rebekah Ahrendt, viol, Dylan Sauerwald, harpsichord, organ, and gut-strung clavicytherium
27Sonatina
Sonatina
1:29
28Allemand
Allemand
1:49
29Courant
Courant
1:02
30Aria
Aria
0:56
31Saraband
Saraband
1:43
32Bransle Amener
Bransle Amener
0:58
33Saraband
Saraband
1:30
34Intrad
Intrad
2:00
35Volta
Volta
1:34

The 1677 publication Stricturæ Viola-di Gambicæ is the only surviving music by David Funck (1648-?1699). Very little is known of his life. He was born in Bohemia and spent some time in Italy before returning to Germany. Funck was an accomplished writer, theorist, and composer. Stricturæ Viola-di Gambicæ is a collection of dance suites for four viols. The forty-three numbered pieces —some of which would have seemed quite old-fashioned in character by 1677—are generally straightforward dances with sweet simple melodies, regular phrase structures, and narrow ranges for the viols. The ranges are low enough that the suites can be performed entirely on bass viols (indeed, this scoring is necessary for the “Fugue” movement). A note in the original print suggests that with the exception of this fugue, the pieces could be performed with a “violetta” playing the top line (we have used a tenor viol for the top line in the G major and G minor suites as these have a higher tessitura than the two D major suites).

Though a keyboard is not called for in the publication, Funck himself was an accomplished keyboardist. He might have accompanied the viols as was a common practice in his day. For this recording, we chose three different keyboard instruments (harpsichord, organ, and gut-strung clavicytherium) to vary the texture and color of the suites.

Johann Jakob Froberger's Meditation sur ma mort future and Toccata prima for solo keyboard round out the recording. This recording features performances by influential performers in the early music scene, hailing from Oberlin, Julliard, Yale, McGill and Boston University.

04 Feb, 2014

Introducing Olde Focus Recordings

Three new February releases mark the debut of  Olde Focus Recordings, a new line of recordings focusing on new recordings of gems from the early music repertoire. Curated by cellist and director of period ensemble ACRONYM, Kivie Cahn-Lipman, Olde Focus kicks its series off with recordings of three 17th century composers deserving of greater attention, Antonio Bertali, Johann Pezel, and David …

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Reviews

5

American Record Guide

{David Funck (1648-99?) is a little-known Bohemian composer who spent time in Italy and Germany, was accused of sodomy, and later was discovered frozen to death on the road to Arnstadt. This collection of music for viol consort is his only publication. There are 43 pieces, 33 of them played here. They are generally simple in structure and easy to play, perhaps composed for teaching purposes. The somewhat unvaried sonority of the four suites, two in D, one in G minor, one in G is broken up by Sauerwald playing two harpsichord pieces by Froberger.

The Funck pieces have been investigated before, but this is the first time an entire CD has been devoted to his music. I found the music and the playing enjoyable. They might be used by cello groups looking for chamber music, perhaps with viola on top. Ahrendt plays tenor viol in the suite in G.

The disc is in a convenient paper cover that takes up much less room than a jewel case. No individual timings.

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