Goldberg Variations, Fretwork, St George's Bristol

Bach on viols brings out the polyphony and promotes insomnia

by Stephen WalshSaturday, 05 March 2011

Fretwork: A smooth tapestry without joins

There are few more beautiful sounds on this planet than a consort of viols well played. Like a quiet conversation overheard from across the room, it combines intimacy and secrecy, together with a kind of conspiratorial subtlety of feeling – intellect and passion fused but disguised. And the sound has a delicacy and refinement hardly matched in any music I know.

At high speed in an elaborate texture, it can be like walking a tightrope on stilts

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Permalink Submitted by David W. Fenton (not verified) on Fri, 11/03/2011 - 20:34

When this article's link is pasted on Facebook, the blurb that results says: "Bach on viols brings out the polyphony and promotes insomnia, says Stephen Walsh" But the reviewer actually concludes: "Fretwork, though, are virtuosos and never put one to sleep..." Did your editor actually read the review?

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