Robert de Visée (1652-1730) - Prelude for Theorbo in A Minor [Albano Berberi, Keyed Lyre]

Whenever I explain what my keyed lyre sounds like to someone who has never heard it before, I usually describe it as a three-way marriage between a harp, theorbo, and harpsichord. Well, today I'm leaning particularly hard on the theorbo aspect of my instrument, as I'm currently working on a suite of dances in A minor, composed for the theorbo by Robert de Visée (1652-1730). De Visée was one of the most prominent French composers for the lute, theorbo, and Baroque guitar in the late 17th and early 18th centuries, serving as a respected and notable musician at the courts of both Louis XIV and XV. I'm finding that his music, with its thin and very clear two and three-voice textures, lends itself quite well to the touch and sound of the lyre. Its warmer, pluckier timbre is far more convincing than the silvery brilliance of a metal-strung harpsichord. The lyre's wound bass strings in particular, especially coupled with the leather plectra in the bottom most octave or so, offer an extraordinarily satisfying keyboard emulation of the theorbo's thrumming bass notes. Here is my interpretation of the prelude from this lovely suite, performed on my keyed lyre by Steven Sorli. Tuning is A=392 HZ, 1/4-comma Meantone temperament. In approaching this music, I do my best to capture elements from the performance styles I have heard from various theorbo players, and blend them with keyboardist techniques and devices appropriate to comparable harpsichord music. I hope the result is enjoyable to both lutenists and harpsichordists alike!