Hille Perl is one of the world's finest viola da gamba players specializing in music of the 17th and 18th centuries. Her recordings at deutsche...

Hille Perl is one of the world's finest viola da gamba players specializing in music of the 17th and 18th centuries. Her recordings at deutsche harmonia mundi have been awarded numerous prizes and received great acclaim. "Ballads within a dream" is the new album of Hille Perl with Andreas Arend, theorbo player. Together with soprano Clare Wilkinson and violinist Veronika Skuplik they recorded a magical, sentimental and entertaining panorama of "dreamlike" English baroque music: with folk songs and ballads by Blow, Purcell, Johnson and Pilkington as well as solo improvisations for theorbo on traditionals (such as the famous "Greensleeves") and three pieces for strings by Eccles, Simpson and Finger. The pieces have been concepted and partially arranged by Andreas Arend, who has released highly praised recordings for Sony Classical including the recording with violist Nils Mönkemeyer.

"Ballads within a dream" features songs from Henry Purcell (1658/9–1695) including his well-known ballad "Music for a While" and also other often slightly melancholic songs such as "Have you seen the white lily grow?" by Robert Johnson (c. 1583–1633) and "Rest, sweet nymphs" by Francis Pilkington (c. 1565–1683). The album opens with a graceful "Love Song" by John Blow (1649–1708), who was probably the teacher of Henry Purcell. There are also some traditional melodies (Out of this wood & Come wait upon him), the lyrics of which are based on William Shakespeare's famous play "A Midsummer Night's Dream". In addition to several folk songs such as "I will give my love an apple" or "Drink to me only with thine eyes" and the world-famous traditional "Greensleeves", the musicians have recorded brilliant chamber music, including a violin sonata by Henry Eccles (c. 1680–1740) (with Veronika Skuplik on the baroque violin) and a trio sonata by Godfrey Finger (c. 1655–1730).