Der Schönheit huldigend

‘Segreti Accenti’, bei Quartz erschienen, präsentiert italienische Renaissancemusik mit dem Duo ‘Cantar alla Viola’, das sind die Sopranistin Nadine Balbeisi und der Gambist Fernando Marin. Das Programm wird äußerst einfühlsam gesungen und gespielt, ganz die Intimität der Musik berücksichtigend. Das lässt diese CD zu einer sehr schönen Erfahrung werden, mit viel Emotion und purer Schönheit. (QTZ2125).

“Played and sung extremely sensitively...this CD turns into a wonderful experience full of emotion and pure beauty.”

Remy Franck (Copyright © 2018 Pizzicato - Remy Franck's Journal – Classics In Luxembourg.)

Segreti accenti CD Review: Gems of Italian Renaissance

“This is definitely a CD to admire… As documentation of an almost-lost practice of the Renaissance — how to take a multi-part vocal work and play it with just a solo voice and a viola da gamba — it is worth its weight in gold. You won’t get tired of the gleaming voice of American-Jordanian soprano Nadine Balbeisi nor fail to admire the deft realizations of the other lines by Valencian gambist Fernando Marín… If the goal is to appreciate “all the sweetness” that is found in the solo voice (as Castiglione’s Book of the Courtier says of “cantare alla viola”), then goal accomplished.” 

Benjamin Dunham, Early Music America

“This music is truly lovely, focused and - perhaps most noticeably - reflects many moods...Nadine Balbeisi and Fernando Marín obviously have a great deal invested in the music, its emotional impact, the purposeful tension between text and music, at which we can safely say Corkine was expert…They present the rounded and mature resultant blend to us … the intimate relationship between voice and viol, which not only does justice to the textures in which Corkine works, but even enhances his gentle intensity.” 

Mark Sealey, MusicWeb International

„…Fernando Marin used performance technique advice from writings by Gannasi and Castiglione. He leads the bass line smoothly, like a second singer, and with as equally clean gestures, effortlessly creates the supportive harmonies.”

Reinhard Kriechbaum, Concerto

Descubriendo a William Corkine de la mano de Cantar alla Viola

“Gracias al espléndido trabajo discográfico… Each Lovely Grace, he llegado a descubrir la misteriosa figura del músico barroco inglés William Corkine… El trabajo realizado por Fernando Marín (viola de gamba y lira viola) y Nadine Balbeisi (soprano), que firman conjuntamente con el nombre Cantar alla Viola, nos da una idea de la riqueza y la belleza de la música de William Corkine y de lo heterogéneo de los sentimientos que invoca.... Se trata de un disco extremadamente cuidado en el que, como ocurre frecuentemente con la música antigua, la labor de interpretación ha ido acompañada de una ardua labor investigadora: desde la construcción de los instrumentos (Marín llega a utilizar tripa de carnero para las cuerdas de las violas) hasta la pronunciación del idioma inglés en el siglo XVII. Todos y cada uno de los aspectos que conforman el proyecto han sido estudiados y documentados.” 

Pablo Rodríguez Canfranc, Musicaantigua.com

”... From the very first seconds of the CD ‘Blas de Castro’ she (Nadine Balbeisi) knows how to grasp the listeners under her spell. Accompanied solely by Fernando Marín on the Vihuela de arco or the Lyra-viol, this CD becomes an unbelievably thrilling and intense listening experience. Presented on this disc is the complete polyphonic works by Juan Blas de Castro (c.1561-1631), a close friend of the Spanish poet Lope de Vega. I must give a heart-felt recommendation for anyone searching for an extraordinary CD with Spanish Renaissance works.” 

Toccata - Música Antigua Actual

„It requires a great agility from the singer which Ms Balbeisi has in abundance…Through the whole compass her voice is remarkably strong and flexible, and the text is always clearly audible. Fernando Marín delivers colourful realisations of the instrumental part, both in the accompaniments and in the solo pieces. This is a very fine disc of a remarkable ensemble which regularly comes up with uncommon repertoire and whose interpretational approach is always interesting and challenging. Anyone who loves Spanish music should look for this disc, and for those who have a general interest in renaissance music it gives an interesting view on the performance practice of the time.” 

Johan van Veen