Frescobaldi's music is certainly central to the development of Italian keyboard at the beginning of the Baroque, and of course marks a shift in emphasis from rigorous imitation to flights of fancy. This is something which is reflected everywhere at this time, but seems to have happened most suddenly in keyboard music.
Frescobaldi's synthesis of form, with his use of expressive affects and emphasis on virtuosity, makes his music as exciting now as then. Nonetheless, some works contain awkward passages, and it can be difficult to make those without unifying themes hold together. Still, I am thoroughly impressed by several of them, and continue to look to improve this section of the listing.
The present performance has become something of a classic at this point, as newer performances generally fail to make any real interpretive progress. Here we have the consummate "clearly articulated conception" with sure-fingered playing. Forward momentum & pacing are handled in a very straightforward & steady way. The whole production comes off very well, with an earthy vigor which is not heavy-handed or repetitive.
Todd M. McComb