This CD contains most of Weckmann’s extant solo keyboard works (the most notable exception being his chorale variations, presumably intended for the organ). The pieces are all drawn from a single manuscript, presented in the original order. The programme thus opens with a series of relatively short toccatas and canzonas, and concludes with a series of partitas, enclosing a set of delectable variations on the song that gives the CD its title, Die lieblichen Blicke.

As harpsichordist Jan Katzschke notes, the music becomes increasingly expressive as the programme proceeds. The toccatas, predictably, are brilliant extrovert pieces; the canzonas and (especially) the partitas possess a greater expressive variety and richer textures.

Katzschke plays two instruments: a harpsichord based on early 18th-century German models and a lute-harpsichord. Both instruments are richly resonant, allowing Katzschke to project the music with a combination of sonorous richness and textural clarity. Katzschke describes Weckmann’s music as “highly spontaneous and improvised, full of harmonious and melodic boldness serving the expression, which might (seemingly) stem from momentary feeling”. This spontaneity is clearly reflected in Katzschke’s rhythmic freedom and rich ornamentation; yet his performances also project a keen sense of purpose, a feeling that he knows where the music is ultimately heading.

His performances also responds to the music’s stylistic and expressive demands – be they for dramatic flair, hard-edged brilliance, rhythmic vitality or thoughtful, introverted lyricism. His attention to harmonic tension and textural subtleties, and his beautifully sensitive phrasing of the melodic lines, further enhance his performances. A rewarding recital, strongly recommended. URI GOLOMB