Paolo Pandolfo
Encyclopedia
Paolo Pandolfo is an Italian
virtuoso player, composer, and teacher of music for the viola da gamba.
He began his studies as a double bass
and guitar
player, becoming a skilled performer of jazz
and popular music
. In the mid-late 1970s he studied viola da gamba at the Rome Conservatory. In 1979 he co-founded the early music
ensemble La Stravaganza, and then moved to Basel
, Switzerland
in 1981 where he studied with Jordi Savall
at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis
. From 1982 to 1990 Pandolfo was a member of Jordi Savall's early music groups Hespèrion XX and Hespèrion XXI
.
Since 1989 Pandolfo has served as professor of viola da gamba at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis — a position previously held by maestros August Wenzinger
and Jordi Savall. He also directs, records, and performs regularly with his viola da gamba-oriented early music ensemble Labyrinto, which he co-founded.
Pandolfo has recorded numerous CDs. For most of the 1980s he recorded primarily with Jordi Savall and others. His first recording as a soloist was in 1990 with the release of his highly acclaimed CD C. P. E. Bach: Sonatas for Viola da Gamba (Tactus). He has also recorded a viola da gamba interpretation of the cello suites
of J. S. Bach
. Pandolfo explains that the suites, although written for the cello, were conceived in the polyphonic style of the viola da gamba; further, the dance suite was a common form for viola da gamba music, and playing the Bach suites on the gamba is thus a way to reclaim this tradition for the viola da gamba.
Pandolfo has said that the patrimony of ancient music can be a powerful inspiration for the future of the Western musical tradition. Building bridges between past and present is therefore an important part of his work.
Paolo Pandolfo is also a contributing performer on dozens of other recordings, collaborating with various well known artists, including:
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
virtuoso player, composer, and teacher of music for the viola da gamba.
He began his studies as a double bass
Double bass
The double bass, also called the string bass, upright bass, standup bass or contrabass, is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra, with strings usually tuned to E1, A1, D2 and G2...
and guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
player, becoming a skilled performer of jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
and popular music
Popular music
Popular music belongs to any of a number of musical genres "having wide appeal" and is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. It stands in contrast to both art music and traditional music, which are typically disseminated academically or orally to smaller, local...
. In the mid-late 1970s he studied viola da gamba at the Rome Conservatory. In 1979 he co-founded the early music
Early music
Early music is generally understood as comprising all music from the earliest times up to the Renaissance. However, today this term has come to include "any music for which a historically appropriate style of performance must be reconstructed on the basis of surviving scores, treatises,...
ensemble La Stravaganza, and then moved to Basel
Basel
Basel or Basle In the national languages of Switzerland the city is also known as Bâle , Basilea and Basilea is Switzerland's third most populous city with about 166,000 inhabitants. Located where the Swiss, French and German borders meet, Basel also has suburbs in France and Germany...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
in 1981 where he studied with Jordi Savall
Jordi Savall
Jordi Savall i Bernadet is a Catalan viol player, conductor and composer. He has been one of the major figures in the field of Western early music since the 1970s, largely responsible for bringing the viol back to life on the stage...
at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis
Schola Cantorum Basiliensis
Schola Cantorum Basiliensis is a music academy and research institution located in Basel, Switzerland, and focusing on early music and historically informed performance....
. From 1982 to 1990 Pandolfo was a member of Jordi Savall's early music groups Hespèrion XX and Hespèrion XXI
Hespèrion XXI
Hespèrion XXI is an international early music ensemble. The group was formed in Basel, Switzerland in 1974 as Hespèrion XX by Spanish musical director Jordi Savall , Montserrat Figueras , Lorenzo Alpert , and Hopkinson Smith...
.
Since 1989 Pandolfo has served as professor of viola da gamba at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis — a position previously held by maestros August Wenzinger
August Wenzinger
August Wenzinger was a prominent cellist, viol player, conductor, teacher, and music scholar from Basel, Switzerland. He was a pioneer of historically informed performance, both as a master of the viola da gamba and as a conductor of Baroque orchestral music and operas.Wenzinger received his...
and Jordi Savall. He also directs, records, and performs regularly with his viola da gamba-oriented early music ensemble Labyrinto, which he co-founded.
Pandolfo has recorded numerous CDs. For most of the 1980s he recorded primarily with Jordi Savall and others. His first recording as a soloist was in 1990 with the release of his highly acclaimed CD C. P. E. Bach: Sonatas for Viola da Gamba (Tactus). He has also recorded a viola da gamba interpretation of the cello suites
Cello Suites (Bach)
The Six Suites for Unaccompanied Cello by Johann Sebastian Bach are some of the most performed and recognizable solo compositions ever written for cello...
of J. S. Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach was a German composer, organist, harpsichordist, violist, and violinist whose sacred and secular works for choir, orchestra, and solo instruments drew together the strands of the Baroque period and brought it to its ultimate maturity...
. Pandolfo explains that the suites, although written for the cello, were conceived in the polyphonic style of the viola da gamba; further, the dance suite was a common form for viola da gamba music, and playing the Bach suites on the gamba is thus a way to reclaim this tradition for the viola da gamba.
Pandolfo has said that the patrimony of ancient music can be a powerful inspiration for the future of the Western musical tradition. Building bridges between past and present is therefore an important part of his work.
Discography
- C. P. E. Bach: Sonatas for Viola da Gamba (Tactus)
- Forqueray - Pièces de viole avec la basse continuë (integrale, Glossa; 2 CDs)
- J. S. Bach - Sonatas for Viola da Gamba and harpsichord (Harmonia Mundi)
- Marin Marais - Le Labyrinth et autres Histoires (Glossa)
- Marin Marais - Le Grand Ballet (Glossa)
- J. S. Bach - The Six Suites (Glossa)
- Tobias Hume - Spirit of Gambo (Glossa - Labyrinto, Emma Kirkby)
- Le Sieur de St. Colombe - Pieces de Viole (Glossa)
- A Solo - P. Pandolfo, T. Hume, Corkins, DeMachy, M. Marais, J. S. Bach, C. F. Abel - solo Recital with different Authors (Glossa)
- Io Canterei d'Amor - O. diLasso, T. Crequillon, Arcadelt, D. Ortiz, R. Rogniono, A. Gabrieli (Labirinto V. Ruffo - Harmonia Mundi)
- Travel Notes - New music for the Viola da Gamba composed by Paolo Pandolfo (Glossa)
- Improvisando - (Glossa)
- Heinrich Isaac, La Spagna - Includes D. Ortiz - Variations on La Spagna played by P. Pandolfo (Bongiovanni)
- Canzon del Principe (includes Oratio Bassani's Viola Bastarda solos - solos by Oratio Bassani played by P. Pandolfo (Divox Antiqua)
Paolo Pandolfo is also a contributing performer on dozens of other recordings, collaborating with various well known artists, including:
- Jordi Savall — Hespèrion XX and Hespèrion XXIHespèrion XXIHespèrion XXI is an international early music ensemble. The group was formed in Basel, Switzerland in 1974 as Hespèrion XX by Spanish musical director Jordi Savall , Montserrat Figueras , Lorenzo Alpert , and Hopkinson Smith...
(numerous titles)