NADINA MACKIE JACKSON

• Corrette

AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD AND STREAMING HERE.
 

---

"The members of Musica Franca are exceptionally talented musicians...the music will succeed in drawing the inquiring listener into the performers' world by way of interpretations that are exemplary in every way...the colloquy is outstanding and the fastidious attention to the most minute details is enviable...these are interpretations that sparkle with enthusiasm and showcase the performers' dedication to the repertoire. No question, this is an adventurous and outstanding outing and one that is probably not going to be duplicated by any other label in the near future."

Fanfare [July / August, 2006]

"Holy Mackeral! Every time bassoonist Nadina Mackie Jackson comes out with a new CD I have to 'revise' the standards by which I evaluate bassoon recordings...always to a higher standard in her case! This is one of the most delightful recordings I have ever heard....delightful interpretation, phrasing and ornamentation by consummate artist Nadina Mackie Jackson...What a delight it is to hear how she can make the music 'dance' for your ears! ...absolutely perfect ensemble playing...crystalline harpsichord accompaniments...This wonderful music is performed with just the right amount of elegance throughout - it is an absolute thrill to hear...Everything is so beautifully handled in this record, from the musical interpretation, balance, recording technique, sound presence...Exquisite programming as well! I simply can't say enough positive about this CD. You must all get it and enjoy it as much as I have"

RATING: 5 CROWS!!! Ronald Klimko, The Double Reed [July 2006]

"The musicians...provide striking contrasts in timbre and texture. The results are delightful. The hybrid melding of modern and period instruments works beautifully, especially give the musicians' scrupulous and imaginative attention to phrasing, vibrato, articulation and ornamentation...the solo bassoon playing of Nadina Mackie Jackson...couldn't be more refined, quicksiler or swashbuckling. [Her] Musica Franca colleagues are sophisticated, animated partners."

The Gramophone [August 2006]

"The Phoenix sounds gorgeous on this recording, with this instrumentation...this recording has [warmth and depth] in abundance...The six sonatas are wonderful little gems of music...They make each of these sonatas their own...The music of Corrette is comical, energetic and beautiful. This is a very enjoyable recording, and I look forward to hearing more from Musica Franca."

American Record Guide [July/August 2006]

"...[a] delightfully sprightly disc...The CD is cleanly recorded and the players are superb. The music has a welcome simplicity but plenty of elan. Highest recommendation!"

John Sunier, Audiophile Audition [June 2006]

"The performances are light and transparent...fast movements
wonderfully weightless...bassoonist Nadina Mackie Jackson handles adeptly and with clear relish...Fraser Jackson plays contrabassoon with alacrity and lightness...These players clearly have a great affection for this entire repertoire and the instruments chosen to express it... freedom with tempo and phrasing...deep feeling to the music...Tone throughout the bassoons' register is delicious... This is ensemble playing of great mutual respect and undeniable musicality."

Alex Baran, Whole Note Magazine [February 2006]

The amalgam of seemingly separate elements is a theme for this group. Our name is inspired by the synthesis of French and Italian styles through the music of composer Michel Corrette, that great friend of the bassoon.

As the the cultural hub of Europe, Paris seethed with artistic activity and the inevitable clash of ideas. Artistic and political perspectives were entwined resulting in fierce exchanges of polemical pamphlets, the medium for invective of the day. And yet, Corrette wrote music that is more genial than confrontational, devoid of defiance yet possessing a certain buoyant confidence. His six sonatas of Les Délices de la Solitude and Le Phénix are written higher in the range of the bassoon and the overall spirit is openly playful and inventive. Many of the movements reveal an all-or-nothing passion that is never melancholy or rancorous.

Even the titles of the works are poetically suggestive rather than explanatory. Using the facsimile editions of the original printings has allowed us to come as close as possible to realizing the original intentions of the composer in creating these performances. At the same time, we have also sometimes taken the liberty of varying the instrumentation, sometimes even within the same sonata, in the search for the widest range of tonal colours. In the works of this composer, the mere notes on the page have a deceptive simplicity. This music immediately reveals the spirit of the performer, giving full value to the concept of "interpreter."

While all of us are, including our engineer and producer, experienced performers on historical instruments, we have chosen to make this recording on modern instruments. Rather like the musicians of the eighteenth century, it was in the spirit of pleasure in music-making that this recording project was conceived. MICHEL CORRETTE (1707-1795)
LE PHÉNIX
LES DÉLICES DE LA SOLITUDE
CONCERTO NO.1 in G MAJOR for ORGAN, OP.26



MSR Classics