Love & Lust

Elizabeth Hungerford, soprano

Andrew Arceci, viola da gamba

Available through iTunes, Spotify, and other platforms. 

"For lovers of Classical music, this is an essential purchase." - Darren Rea, Review Graveyard (UK)

"Hungerford has a pure voice and is a spirited communicator in both English and Italian. She uses her instrument effectively, investing an essentially white tone with some splashes of colour by adding vibrato and crescendi." - Francis Muzzu, Opera Now (UK)

"Arceci accompanies her sensitively and enjoys his own solos." - F. Muzzu, Opera Now (UK)

"The playing – informed by Lyra viol techniques – is delivered with skill and sensitivity." - Philip Redfern, The Viol (UK)

"A sequence of pieces by Hume – including a masterful account of 'Death' displays true mastery of the instrument, but, even more impressive, a real grasp of how to shape and project these illusive pieces. This music always balances on the edge between the experimental and the eccentric, and Arceci charts a successful course between the merely accurate and the willfully wayward. His subtle sense of rubato and command of a wide tonal range are deployed entirely at the service of the music, which is played with bags of those all too rare qualities – charm and wit." - P. Redfern, The Viol (UK)

"The real discovery of the disc is Merula's 'Canzonetta Spirtuale Sopra alla Nanna'. This lullaby of the Virgin Mary to the infant Jesus is delivered with unerring skill by both artists. The viol supplies a hypnotic (pizzicato) ostinato which swells and fades in support of the singer, while she spins a positively spellbinding vocal line – responsive to the high emotion of the text while achieving an extraordinary balance between stillness and tension. Towards the end the viol changes into a more lute-like, continuo realisation as the focus moves from child to mother. A great piece magnificently presented – and showing this duo at their most creative and insightful." - P. Redfern, The Viol (UK)

“There are some nice pairings of pieces, one being the lovely Amarilli mia bella by Caccini followed by Jacob Van Eyck variations on the same theme. Andrew Arceci makes very effective of the tone colours of the viola da gamba in the extended solo line of the divisions.” - Andrew Benson-Wilson, Early Music Reviews (UK)

“One of the most effective tracks is Tarquinio Merula’s gorgeous lullaby, Canzonetta Spirituale sopra alla nanna, clearly reflected Mary and the baby Jesus. The evocatively soaring vocal line is supported by an hypnotic accompaniment based on just two notes. The gentleness of the lullaby is disturbed at a few moments when the future of the baby is predicted.” - A. Benson-Wilson, Early Music Reviews (UK)

“The use of the gamba alone necessarily makes for a certain intimate quality, which both Hungerford and her accompanist, Andrew Arceci, fully exploit, and the selection of songs, a mixture of Italian and English, is highly effectively interspersed with solo gamba pieces by the ever-impressive Tobias Hume.” - Ivan Moody, Early Music; Oxford University Press (UK)

“Hungerford’s voice is crystal clear, a perfect counterfoil for the gamba’s smokily rich timbre; she proves herself, in I attempt from love’s sickness to fly to be an outstanding and original interpreter of Purcell, and, in Quel sguardo sdegnosetto, a fine Monteverdian.” - I. Moody, Early Music; Oxford University Press (UK)

“Arceci is obviously a gambist to look out for. He’s not terribly stretched by the repertoire on this CD and, indeed, plays in just under half of the tracks as a soloist (six out of fifteen), with four of those being works by Hume; a prelude by Simpson (E minor) and some variations on Amarilli mia bella by Van Eyck round out his solo contribution. His Amarilli variations are a good attempt to create a larger unit out of two separate items (they follow a pretty straight interpretation of Caccini’s song) and are well characterised and shapely. His accompanimental playing is inventive and sensitive, but it’s really his four Hume works that command attention. He seems equally at home in Hume’s skittish style (for example, in Touch me lightly) as he does in the graver style (for example, in Deth). The most impressive track on the CD is indeed Deth, and its length seems to open the door to Arceci’s expressiveness. His chordal playing is wonderfully muscular and his melodic playing highly resonant and engaged, a performance worth ‘the price of admission’.” - John Weretka, Australian Viola da Gamba Society (Australia)

"...two impressive young performers, Elizabeth Hungerford and Andrew Arceci.” - Lewis Baratz, Well-Tempered Baroque; WWFM Radio-The Classical Network (US)

"Elizabeth sings with a very clear sound, and Andrew provides a really masterful lyra-viol accompaniment.” - L. Baratz, Well-Tempered Baroque; WWFM Radio-The Classical Network (US)

"Sit back with a glass of wine and listen to this beautiful music.” - Ancient FM-Radio

“This record features a stunning selection of duo repertoire from the late renaissance and early baroque periods, with each piece centring in some way on the themes mentioned in its title - love and lust.” - Megan Steller, Interview with Re:hearsal Magazine; Musical Partnership: Andrew Arceci and Elizabeth Hungerford (Australia)

“The literal centerpiece of the album, Tarquinio Merula's minimalist masterpiece "Canzonetta spirituale sopra alla nanna," is, at over eight minutes, the recording's longest selection, and its only shortcoming is that it isn't twice that long. But that’s Merula’s fault. There are lots of recordings of this fascinating little work—which cycles through a brief chord progression 162 times!—but none of them can touch this one, which may be unique in using the viola da gamba as a true continuo instrument. It’s an absolutely hypnotic, dramatic and riveting rendition by both performers, and I feel compelled to call it essential listening for anyone who has even the slightest interest in the early baroque, vocal music or otherwise.” - Andrew Anderson, Auxiliary Input; TheaterJones (US)

“One reason we might declare the entire album essential listening is Andrew Arceci's artistry on viola da gamba. The variety of sounds he is able to produce, the range of his expression, and the adventurous techniques he occasionally employs are simply astounding. Even better, his intonation is perfect from the first second of the album to the last, and as such he is the perfect accompaniment to Ms. Hungerford's sensitive, beautiful, and I daresay flawless vocal performance.” - A. Anderson, Auxiliary Input; TheaterJones (US)

“Every second of this disc—every bit, if I may be permitted to reduce its worth to its digital encapsulation—is exquisite. The performers asked TheaterJones to review this album, but I may

purchase three more copies of it on my own, for fear that I'll wear several of them out. If I rated

things with stars, I'd run out of stars on this one.” - A. Anderson, Auxiliary Input; TheaterJones

(US)

"Questo è un disco molto interessante. la fusione tra la voce limpida ed intonata della Hungerford e la viola da gamba suonata con estrema perizia da Arceci, risulta molto felice." - Angelo Jasparro, Audio Activity: Music & Audio Magazine (Italy)

"Registrazione molto felice, nella quale la precisione della riproduzione del suono si mescola perfettamente con l'acustica della Chiesa nella quale si è svolto l'evento." - A. Jasparro, Audio

Activity: Music & Audio Magazine (Italy)

"Consigliato." - A. Jasparro, Audio Activity: Music & Audio Magazine (Italy)

“Elizabeth Hungerford’s purity of voice and sensuous ornaments and Andrew Arceci’s gorgeous and accomplished viol playing, together with the distinctive feature of a solo bass viol accompaniment to the songs, offer many ravishing moments to the listener. The singer’s sense of communication, in both Italian and English, brings out the many dramatic moments in the varied selections. The instrumental pieces, mainly from Captain Hume, whose poetic titles fit the theme of Love and Lust so perfectly, are beautifully played and ornamented.” - Janet Cannon, Viola da Gamba Society of America (US)

“The whimsical She Loves It Well gets us into a more lively swing of things, and the percussive

col legno accompaniment to Azzaiolo’s Chi passa per ‘sta strada gives a vivid sense of movement underlying the lover’s complaint—one can imagine a street full of passersby, and the lover trying to catch the eye of his desired. The arrangement is original and supports Hungerford’s well-styled interpretation. Her Amarilli mia bella, the Caccini classic, is absolutely luscious, with a sumptuous viol introduction and a beautiful accompaniment following every sensuous turn.” - J. Cannon, Viola da Gamba Society of America (US)

“Purcell’s I Attempt from Love’s Sickness to Fly, a fairly typical text, is simply set, with plenty of scope for Hungerford to deploy her lovely and increasingly lavish embellishments with a very tasteful bass accompaniment. It is followed by the mischievous Beauty, Since You so Much Desire, by Campion, a great entry on the Lust side of things. A lovely and haunting viol introduction leads to a playful discourse on the exact bodily seat of Cupid’s fire. As always, Hungerford’s enunciation is excellent—the words are easily followed and reflected in her choices of articulation and effects. Back to Captain Hume for the ever-philosophical Tobacco, in which it is proven that tobacco is like love. Impeccably executed, if perhaps a touch too earnest. The final selection, Monteverdi’s Quel sguardo sdegnosetto (“That Haughty Little Glance”), again a fairly typical love poem from an era that delighted in hyperbole, allows Hungerford to delight us with the full range of Italianate fireworks and word-painting.” - J. Cannon, Viola da Gamba Society of America (US)

“Since the goal of the recording was to explore repertoire that was well suited to this particular instrumentation, the only overarching theme of the album is love. It is not always innocent, romantic love, however, as the album title indicates; among the songs and ayres is Tobias Hume’s famous elegy to that new fad, tobacco, and Hungerford gives a particularly “stimulating” rendition of Thomas Campion’s “Beauty Since You So Much Desire,” leading the listener on a playful quest to find exactly where Cupid’s fire lives.

More than half the album’s tracks are similar English songs. Alongside Purcell are several

anonymous works, as well as pieces for solo viol by Hume and Christopher Simpson. Caccini’s

“Amarilli” is countered nicely by Jacob van Eyck’s divisions on that melody, and the remainder

of the album is chosen from the Italian composers Filippo Azzaiolo, Claudio Monteverdi, and

Tarquinio Merula, whose “Canzonetta spirituale sopra alla nanna” provides yet another facet of

love: the spiritual, maternal love of Mary for the infant Jesus.

The album is nicely varied in language, instrumentation, and subject; the Italian songs are interspersed among the English, and the pieces for solo viol alternate either singly or in groups with the vocal works. Regarding the overall sound, though, the album is well unified. With such a reduced instrumentation, the recording becomes a more intimate, in some cases seductive affair; the ear is not only drawn to Hungerford’s clear, animated soprano but also to the rich timbre and high quality of technique expressed by Arceci’s viol.

The result is remarkably interesting and effective. Hungerford is a natural storyteller, easily shifting gears between wistful and protective (Merula’s “Canzonetta”), flirtatious and charming (Monteverdi’s “Quel sguardo sdegnosetto”), humorous (Hume’s “Tobacco”) and downright naughty (Campion’s “Beauty”). Arceci plays with great sensitivity not only to his role as sole accompanist and supporting bass voice but also to the stylistic nuances of the different genres themselves.

As per usual, the pieces by Hume do not disappoint, and the Purcell “I Attempt from Love’s Sickness” is quite lovely, but their original starting point, “Amarilli mia bella,” is the real heart of this recording. It is refreshing to hear an album such as this that sounds like a true collaboration, rather than showcase for an individual performer, though both are deserving of their respective moments in the spotlight.” - Karen Cook, Early Music America (US)

“What makes this album so cool for me is there are several applications for this kind of music. Although I would say it is wasted on a trip to the grocery store. This album screams for intimacy either alone or with someone, or someones, if you're feeling ambitious. That's right, I'm saying this classical album is hot, and definitely more than a little sexy. The title of Love and Lust is not false advertising. This is mood music for the classically inclined. I didn't know the world needed such a thing, but now I know it absolutely does.” - Rebecca Rothschild, Divide & Conquer (US)

“These two are what I would call classical craftsmen. They pay homage to the roots of the genre and then put their own signature stamp on it.” - R. Rothschild, Divide & Conquer (US)

“…really spectacular” - Chris Voss, Voices; Classical Radio Boston - 99.5 WCRB (US)

"Honestly, the Merula work is pretty well-known, or at least probably the composer's most frequently recorded work. It's difficult to say this is the best only because there's such wide variation in interpretation of the work. But it's the only version I want to listen to anymore—so many other recordings downplay the sense of obsession displayed by the accompaniment. Arceci's unique rendition of that obsession, combined with Hungerford's rock-solid technique and wide emotional range, make this track—indeed, the whole album—a total thrill.” - A. Anderson, Auxiliary Input; TheaterJones (US)