Bach: Volume Four - Nigel North - Classic CD

Musical arrangements are back in fashion, after several decades of sometimes misplaced zeal about hearing only the exact notes that the composer wrote. While one must respect the composer's intentions, music can be a far more creative art. Nigel North reminds us that Bach's own lute music tended to be transcribed from other compositions...

In these transcriptions North is merely imitating Bach's own method of creating lute repertory from music for bowed strings, and we should be grateful to him for creating new and valuable repertory from the twilight period of the lute's regular use...
In this case the performance is better heard than described: North has clearly completely absorbed the style, and communicates this music with fluency and flair. The balance allows the details to be heard, but preserves the warmth of sound rather than putting the instrument under a microscope.