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Brilliant Classics

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

$12.99

Details

Composer
Carl Friedrich Abel
Artist
Alejandro Marias
Format
CD
Label
Brilliant Classics
Released
Nov 28, 2025
Catalog #
BRI97716
UPC
5028421977164

About

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)

Tracklist 29 tracks

  1. 1 No. 1. Allegro, WKO 186 03:43
    Track
    1
    Title
    No. 1. Allegro, WKO 186
    Duration
    03:43
    Composer
    Carl Friedrich Abel
    Performer
    Alejandro Marías
  2. 2 No. 2. Adagio, WKO 187 02:49
    Track
    2
    Title
    No. 2. Adagio, WKO 187
    Duration
    02:49
    Composer
    Carl Friedrich Abel
    Performer
    Alejandro Marías
  3. 3 No. 3. Tempo di minuet, WKO 188 02:33
    Track
    3
    Title
    No. 3. Tempo di minuet, WKO 188
    Duration
    02:33
    Composer
    Carl Friedrich Abel
    Performer
    Alejandro Marías
  4. 4 No. 4. Adagio, WKO 189 01:53
    Track
    4
    Title
    No. 4. Adagio, WKO 189
    Duration
    01:53
    Composer
    Carl Friedrich Abel
    Performer
    Alejandro Marías
  5. 5 No. 5. Vivace, WKO 190 03:12
    Track
    5
    Title
    No. 5. Vivace, WKO 190
    Duration
    03:12
    Composer
    Carl Friedrich Abel
    Performer
    Alejandro Marías
  6. 6 No. 6. Andante, WKO 191 04:34
    Track
    6
    Title
    No. 6. Andante, WKO 191
    Duration
    04:34
    Composer
    Carl Friedrich Abel
    Performer
    Alejandro Marías
  7. 7 No. 7. Allegro, WKO 192 03:43
    Track
    7
    Title
    No. 7. Allegro, WKO 192
    Duration
    03:43
    Composer
    Carl Friedrich Abel
    Performer
    Alejandro Marías
  8. 8 No. 9. Piece, A13 00:33
    Track
    8
    Title
    No. 9. Piece, A13
    Duration
    00:33
    Composer
    Carl Friedrich Abel
    Performer
    Alejandro Marías
  9. 9 No. 10. Arpeggio, WKO 194 01:56
    Track
    9
    Title
    No. 10. Arpeggio, WKO 194
    Duration
    01:56
    Composer
    Carl Friedrich Abel
    Performer
    Alejandro Marías
  10. 10 No. 11. Vivace, WKO 195 02:40
    Track
    10
    Title
    No. 11. Vivace, WKO 195
    Duration
    02:40
    Composer
    Carl Friedrich Abel
    Performer
    Alejandro Marías
  11. 11 No. 8. Tempo di minuet, WKO 193 01:29
    Track
    11
    Title
    No. 8. Tempo di minuet, WKO 193
    Duration
    01:29
    Composer
    Carl Friedrich Abel
    Performer
    Alejandro Marías
  12. 12 No. 12. Fuga, WKO 196 02:32
    Track
    12
    Title
    No. 12. Fuga, WKO 196
    Duration
    02:32
    Composer
    Carl Friedrich Abel
    Performer
    Alejandro Marías
  13. 13 No. 17. Tempo di Menuet, WKO 200 02:54
    Track
    13
    Title
    No. 17. Tempo di Menuet, WKO 200
    Duration
    02:54
    Composer
    Carl Friedrich Abel
    Performer
    Alejandro Marías
  14. 14 No. 16. Piece, A10 00:25
    Track
    14
    Title
    No. 16. Piece, A10
    Duration
    00:25
    Composer
    Carl Friedrich Abel
    Performer
    Alejandro Marías
  15. 15 No. 13. Andante, WKO 197 02:31
    Track
    15
    Title
    No. 13. Andante, WKO 197
    Duration
    02:31
    Composer
    Carl Friedrich Abel
    Performer
    Alejandro Marías
  16. 16 No. 14. Allegro, WKO 198 03:45
    Track
    16
    Title
    No. 14. Allegro, WKO 198
    Duration
    03:45
    Composer
    Carl Friedrich Abel
    Performer
    Alejandro Marías
  17. 17 No. 18. Tempo di Menuet, WKO 201 03:20
    Track
    17
    Title
    No. 18. Tempo di Menuet, WKO 201
    Duration
    03:20
    Composer
    Carl Friedrich Abel
    Performer
    Alejandro Marías
  18. 18 No. 15. Andante, WKO 199 02:11
    Track
    18
    Title
    No. 15. Andante, WKO 199
    Duration
    02:11
    Composer
    Carl Friedrich Abel
    Performer
    Alejandro Marías
  19. 19 No. 19. Menuetto, WKO 202 02:29
    Track
    19
    Title
    No. 19. Menuetto, WKO 202
    Duration
    02:29
    Composer
    Carl Friedrich Abel
    Performer
    Alejandro Marías
  20. 20 No. 20. Tempo di Menuet, WK 203-204 03:47
    Track
    20
    Title
    No. 20. Tempo di Menuet, WK 203-204
    Duration
    03:47
    Composer
    Carl Friedrich Abel
    Performer
    Alejandro Marías
  21. 21 No. 21. Piece, A25 00:41
    Track
    21
    Title
    No. 21. Piece, A25
    Duration
    00:41
    Composer
    Carl Friedrich Abel
    Performer
    Alejandro Marías
  22. 22 No. 22. Andante, WKO 205 02:24
    Track
    22
    Title
    No. 22. Andante, WKO 205
    Duration
    02:24
    Composer
    Carl Friedrich Abel
    Performer
    Alejandro Marías
  23. 23 No. 23. Allegro, WKO 206 02:20
    Track
    23
    Title
    No. 23. Allegro, WKO 206
    Duration
    02:20
    Composer
    Carl Friedrich Abel
    Performer
    Alejandro Marías
  24. 24 No. 24. Allegro, WKO 207 03:07
    Track
    24
    Title
    No. 24. Allegro, WKO 207
    Duration
    03:07
    Composer
    Carl Friedrich Abel
    Performer
    Alejandro Marías
  25. 25 No. 25. Adagio, WKO 208 05:02
    Track
    25
    Title
    No. 25. Adagio, WKO 208
    Duration
    05:02
    Composer
    Carl Friedrich Abel
    Performer
    Alejandro Marías
  26. 26 No. 26. Tempo di minuet, WKO 209 03:15
    Track
    26
    Title
    No. 26. Tempo di minuet, WKO 209
    Duration
    03:15
    Composer
    Carl Friedrich Abel
    Performer
    Alejandro Marías
  27. 27 No. 27. Allegretto, WKO 210 03:36
    Track
    27
    Title
    No. 27. Allegretto, WKO 210
    Duration
    03:36
    Composer
    Carl Friedrich Abel
    Performer
    Alejandro Marías
  28. 28 No. 28. Allegro, WKO 211 04:36
    Track
    28
    Title
    No. 28. Allegro, WKO 211
    Duration
    04:36
    Composer
    Carl Friedrich Abel
    Performer
    Alejandro Marías
  29. 29 No. 29. Allegro, WK 212 01:36
    Track
    29
    Title
    No. 29. Allegro, WK 212
    Duration
    01:36
    Composer
    Carl Friedrich Abel
    Performer
    Alejandro Marías