Welcome to Hyperion Records, an independent British classical label devoted to presenting high-quality recordings of music of all styles and from all periods from the twelfth century to the twenty-first.
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Despite being in a minor key, the Chacony was probably written as a lively dance. Charles had picked up the French habit of listening to music while standing and tapping his foot, and he emphatically preferred music that gratified his partiality. The piece is based on a descending tetrachord—four consecutive notes of a minor scale, leading from tonic to dominant—which became associated with the lament, a decisive instance being Dido’s lament from Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas (1689). As was usual in England, in the case of the Chacony, the chaconne of the title is used indeterminately, and the word might equally suggest a passacaglia or simply a ground.
from notes by Paul Williamson © 2019
An Englishman Abroad The name of Nicola Matteis may be relatively unfamiliar, but this programme is one of joyful exploration and vivacious string playing.» More |
From the ground up – The chaconne Originating as a sexy dance in South America, the ‘chacona’ crossed the Atlantic to Spain where it was banned from theatres for being ‘lascivious’, ‘dishonest’ and ‘offensive to pious ears’. This new album traces the dance's allure through the age ...» More |
Purcell: Ayres for the theatre ‘Classic accounts deserving a place in anyone's CD collection’ (BBC Music Magazine)» More |