Early Music Review nr. 113 (June 2006)

On the back cover of the package in paled-out print (like much of the typography) are the words 'Music for the pantaleon'. Now, whether or not one accepts that any of this music was written for that particular beast (of which not a single example survives) or for the man who invented it while in exile, there are several leaps of faith one must take before embarking on the task of actually hearing this disc. I must say that, after slight misgivings, I actually enjoyed it. The male alto solo (Jürgen Banholzer) is as good in this repertoire as any I've heard, and the accompanying group (including Margit Übellacker on tenor dulcimer — which is, as we're told, about as close as one can get to a Pantaleon these days) are stylish and their interpretations of two cantatas, two cello sonatas and two arias from Viennese oratorios, are thoroughly enjoyable. The rich harmonics of the dulcimer (which Caldara, when he wants one, calls salterio) mean that chords can last a lot longer than might be comfortable, but Übellacker is a true virtuoso and improvise nice embellishments to her violin parts (!) But I'd really rather like to hear the music as Caldara intented — he truly is a fine composer on the verge of discovery, I hope — but this is nicely done, if slightly uncertain of its target audience.

BC