{"product_id":"alejandro-marias-abel-the-drexel-manuscript-27-pieces-for-sola-viola-da-gamba","title":"Alejandro Marias- Abel: The Drexel Manuscript, 27 Pieces for Sola Viola da Gamba (CD)","description":"\u003cp\u003eCarl Friedrich Abel was known in 18th-century London as the greatest gamba player of his day. Having been taught in Leipzig by JS Bach, Abel later worked closely with 'the London Bach', Johann Christian, and his own music shares a quality of liminal fantasy with that of his friend, poised as they were (in retrospect) on the threshold of the Baroque and Classical eras.\r\nHaving moved to London for good in 1759, Abel soon attracted the admiration of the greatest English portraitist of the day, Thomas Gainsborough. The artist painted the composer, and played the gamba himself. It may well be that Abel wrote this collection of quasi-improvised solo works towards the end of his life with Gainsborough in mind. At any rate, the 'Drexel' nomenclature arose only once the manuscript of the pieces found it's way into the hands of the philanthropist Joseph William Drexel in 1877. \r\nAs Alejandro Marias remarks in his booklet essay for this remarkable new recording, the manuscript asks more questions than it supplies answers. 'Why did he compile them, for whom, why in that order, did he ever play any of these scores, or was it an attempt to capture what inspiration had led him to improvise the night before?'\r\nFor Marias, the collection is nonetheless 'one of the most important works in viola da gamba literature. It represents the last great viola da gamba player's most intimate moments, where he found the formal and stylistic freedom to express his deepest emotions, using his virtuosity to put it at the service of the music and not to make a mere technical display, however difficult some of these pieces may be. Recording it is one of the greatest challenges a viola da gamba player can face.'\r\nThis album of the Drexel Manuscript makes a fine sequel to the previous collection of Abel's music led by Marias on Brilliant Classics, 'Between Two Worlds' (97437), which attracted great critical enthusiasm: 'The gamba playing by Alejandro Marias is superb, with a clear tone and sonorous depth... There is surely more to come, and I for one will look forward to further releases.' (Fanfare)\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e UPC \u0026gt; 5028421977164 \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e Format \u0026gt; New CD \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e Label \u0026gt; Brilliant Classics \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e Release Date \u0026gt; Release Date: 10.03.25 \u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eShop online at \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/shop.darksiderecords.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"\u003eDarkside Records\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFollow us on \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/darksiderecordspk\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"\u003eInstagram\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"AEC","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46644989395165,"sku":"5028421977164","price":90.0,"currency_code":"CNY","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0551\/1056\/6043\/files\/4445224-3422624.jpg?v=1754496365","url":"https:\/\/darksiderecords.myshopify.com\/zh-cn\/products\/alejandro-marias-abel-the-drexel-manuscript-27-pieces-for-sola-viola-da-gamba","provider":"Darkside Records","version":"1.0","type":"link"}