Abel: The Drexel Manuscript, 27 Pieces for Sola Viola da Gam

$12.99
Label
Brilliant Classics
Release Date
November 28, 2025
Format
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    Featuring ⌄
    • COMPOSER
      Carl Friedrich Abel
    • PERFORMER
      Alejandro Marias
    Product Details ⌄
    • RELEASE DATE
      November 28, 2025
    • UPC
      5028421977164
    • CATALOG NUMBER
      BRI97716
    • LABEL
      Brilliant Classics
    • NUMBER OF DISCS
      1
    • GENRE
      Classical
    Works ⌄

    1. No. 1. Allegro, WKO 186

      Composer: Carl Friedrich Abel

      Performer: Alejandro Marías

    2. No. 2. Adagio, WKO 187

      Composer: Carl Friedrich Abel

      Performer: Alejandro Marías

    3. No. 3. Tempo di minuet, WKO 188

      Composer: Carl Friedrich Abel

      Performer: Alejandro Marías

    4. No. 4. Adagio, WKO 189

      Composer: Carl Friedrich Abel

      Performer: Alejandro Marías

    5. No. 5. Vivace, WKO 190

      Composer: Carl Friedrich Abel

      Performer: Alejandro Marías

    6. No. 6. Andante, WKO 191

      Composer: Carl Friedrich Abel

      Performer: Alejandro Marías

    7. No. 7. Allegro, WKO 192

      Composer: Carl Friedrich Abel

      Performer: Alejandro Marías

    8. No. 9. Piece, A13

      Composer: Carl Friedrich Abel

      Performer: Alejandro Marías

    9. No. 10. Arpeggio, WKO 194

      Composer: Carl Friedrich Abel

      Performer: Alejandro Marías

    10. No. 11. Vivace, WKO 195

      Composer: Carl Friedrich Abel

      Performer: Alejandro Marías

    11. No. 8. Tempo di minuet, WKO 193

      Composer: Carl Friedrich Abel

      Performer: Alejandro Marías

    12. No. 12. Fuga, WKO 196

      Composer: Carl Friedrich Abel

      Performer: Alejandro Marías

    13. No. 17. Tempo di Menuet, WKO 200

      Composer: Carl Friedrich Abel

      Performer: Alejandro Marías

    14. No. 16. Piece, A10

      Composer: Carl Friedrich Abel

      Performer: Alejandro Marías

    15. No. 13. Andante, WKO 197

      Composer: Carl Friedrich Abel

      Performer: Alejandro Marías

    16. No. 14. Allegro, WKO 198

      Composer: Carl Friedrich Abel

      Performer: Alejandro Marías

    17. No. 18. Tempo di Menuet, WKO 201

      Composer: Carl Friedrich Abel

      Performer: Alejandro Marías

    18. No. 15. Andante, WKO 199

      Composer: Carl Friedrich Abel

      Performer: Alejandro Marías

    19. No. 19. Menuetto, WKO 202

      Composer: Carl Friedrich Abel

      Performer: Alejandro Marías

    20. No. 20. Tempo di Menuet, WK 203-204

      Composer: Carl Friedrich Abel

      Performer: Alejandro Marías

    21. No. 21. Piece, A25

      Composer: Carl Friedrich Abel

      Performer: Alejandro Marías

    22. No. 22. Andante, WKO 205

      Composer: Carl Friedrich Abel

      Performer: Alejandro Marías

    23. No. 23. Allegro, WKO 206

      Composer: Carl Friedrich Abel

      Performer: Alejandro Marías

    24. No. 24. Allegro, WKO 207

      Composer: Carl Friedrich Abel

      Performer: Alejandro Marías

    25. No. 25. Adagio, WKO 208

      Composer: Carl Friedrich Abel

      Performer: Alejandro Marías

    26. No. 26. Tempo di minuet, WKO 209

      Composer: Carl Friedrich Abel

      Performer: Alejandro Marías

    27. No. 27. Allegretto, WKO 210

      Composer: Carl Friedrich Abel

      Performer: Alejandro Marías

    28. No. 28. Allegro, WKO 211

      Composer: Carl Friedrich Abel

      Performer: Alejandro Marías

    29. No. 29. Allegro, WK 212

      Composer: Carl Friedrich Abel

      Performer: Alejandro Marías


Carl Friedrich Abel was known in 18th-century London as the greatest gamba player of his day. Having been taught in Leipzig by JS Bach, Abel later worked closely with 'the London Bach', Johann Christian, and his own music shares a quality of liminal fantasy with that of his friend, poised as they were (in retrospect) on the threshold of the Baroque and Classical eras. Having moved to London for good in 1759, Abel soon attracted the admiration of the greatest English portraitist of the day, Thomas Gainsborough. The artist painted the composer, and played the gamba himself. It may well be that Abel wrote this collection of quasi-improvised solo works towards the end of his life with Gainsborough in mind. At any rate, the 'Drexel' nomenclature arose only once the manuscript of the pieces found it's way into the hands of the philanthropist Joseph William Drexel in 1877. As Alejandro Marias remarks in his booklet essay for this remarkable new recording, the manuscript asks more questions than it supplies answers. 'Why did he compile them, for whom, why in that order, did he ever play any of these scores, or was it an attempt to capture what inspiration had led him to improvise the night before?' For Marias, the collection is nonetheless 'one of the most important works in viola da gamba literature. It represents the last great viola da gamba player's most intimate moments, where he found the formal and stylistic freedom to express his deepest emotions, using his virtuosity to put it at the service of the music and not to make a mere technical display, however difficult some of these pieces may be. Recording it is one of the greatest challenges a viola da gamba player can face.' This album of the Drexel Manuscript makes a fine sequel to the previous collection of Abel's music led by Marias on Brilliant Classics, 'Between Two Worlds' (97437), which attracted great critical enthusiasm: 'The gamba playing by Alejandro Marias is superb, with a clear tone and sonorous depth... There is surely more to come, and I for one will look forward to further releases.' (Fanfare)