Jonas Nordberg - de Visee, Weiss & Dufaut [Pure DSD]

Released in 2015, Swedish lutenist Jonas Nordberg makes quite a positive impression in this solo debut album with Eudora. He has recorded also for BIS, but this Pure DSD256 recording made by Gonzalo Noqué is where I recommend you start. It is a gorgeous recording taking full advantage of the acoustic of the 13th Century Spanish church of San Francisco, in Ávila, Spain. As is usual with recordings from Gonzalo Noqué, the sound is transparent, highly detailed, yet warm and very analog sounding. One hears every note and the fingers on the strings, but without the distracting "hyper-detail" that often plagues lesser quality recordings. (...) Nordberg's playing is refined, fluid and flexible, with an exquisite use of subtle dynamic shifts and ornamentation. And he is technically as perfect as one might ask for... I heartily recommend that you treat yourself to this intimate recording. It is a delicacy I have been enjoying immensely. We can only hope for Nordberg to return to Eudora for additional recordings of this quality.

“The warmth and closeness of the recording is admirable […]. Nordberg is clear in the exposition of the polyphony, natural in the treatment of rhythm, exquisite with the dynamics and the ornamentation.”

Jonas Nordberg […] deployes a remarkable mastery deploying a remarkable mastery of precision and musicality. From start to finish the performance […] is a plea to rediscover this music.

A recording as it should be: intimate and detailed, with enough room for the sound to flourish.

"In both Multichannel and Stereo, the recording is simply impeccable, caressing the listener with the full realism of theorbo and lute […]. Empathy and rapport distinguish Nordberg’s first solo disc. If you’ve never heard a theorbo (or a lute, for that matter), here is a very fine recording to try, with state of the art in sound (DSD256 – 11.289MHz capture, DSD master)."

"High resolution is all about detail and timbre. And that is just what we hear abundantly on this disk. Every note can be pin pointed; one hears the fingers on the strings. The discrete surround (which in fact copies the reflection one hears in a hall, or, in this case, a church) creates lots of ‘air’ around the music, making these pieces a very relaxing joy to listen to. […] Under the carful hands of Nordberg, the music is reflective and yet addictive for all lute (and theorbo) aficionados and at the same time most instructive for all those who want to know more about it and are willing to let themselves be carried away in a well-chosen spiritual combination of music, culture and history."