Baroque Insights on the Lute
Weiss, Bach, Forqueray
Lute Duo: Anna Kowalska and Anton Birula (Poland)
The lute is in a way the symbolic instrument of early music that almost disappeared in the second half of the 18th century. The reason for that might have been the ever bigger concert halls in which the sound of the lute was too quiet. However, connoisseurs during the glory days of the lute knew that the most beautiful things in this world are not said out loud. The lute’s nuanced and fragile sound became a clear favourite of the upper class. Hundreds of preserved 18th century paintings depicting lutes only emphasize the popularity of the instrument and add new symbolic shades. The lute duo Anna Kowalska and Anton Birula has spared itself from chasing after quick popularity and has taken time for understanding the deeper currents in music. With constant work on refining technical nuances, they have reached a level where they can be considered the best known names of the genre throughout the world.