For immediate release, January 28, 2022 (Halifax)…Leaf Music is pleased to announce the release of Space Time Continuo’s debut album Carolo. The album features 10 sonatas written by a mysterious “Mr Carolo,” whose identity remains an enigma for scholars and musicians alike. Educated guesses have been made to equate Carolo’s identity to Carolus Hacquart, a Flemish composer and Viol player, or an anonymous English “Mr. Charles,” inspired by the 17th-century trio sonatas.
Although the Carolo sonatas were written for smaller ensembles, the original edition served as a blank canvas to fulfill Space Time Continuo’s mandate of featuring the rich textures and wide soundscape possible in the continuo section. Sonatas IX, III, V and X were conceived with augmented forces and sonatas IX and III are new arrangements for 3 solo bass instruments and continuo. Sonata VI is performed with two bassoons, harpsichord and bowed bass (5-string low-pitched bass violin) but the other five are closer to what was suggested by the original publisher’s title page: “two solo bass instruments plus one continuo,” but with variation in the instrumentation of the solo voices and keyboard choice.
Watch Sonata IX by M. Carolo performed by Space Time Continuo
In Early Music, the continuo “team”, although sometimes consisting of only 1 instrument, improvises accompaniment over a baseline. The name “Space Time Continuo” came to Amanda Keesmaat during her days at McGill, playing in the Baroque Orchestra under the direction of Hank Knox. Keesmaat realized she had unwittingly joined a not-so-private club, but one with many secrets and an important agenda, hidden in plain sight.
Space Time Continuo is interested in finding, creating, performing, and recording music for baroque bass instruments.
The first Space Time Continuo performance, featuring 9 different instruments (cello, viola da gamba, basse de violon, harp, bassoon, harpsichord, organ, theorbo and baroque guitar,) was presented in the Winter of 2019 by La Nef. The concert held space for a combination of textures, creative solutions and richness, with excerpts of music performed true to the score, while others were treated with much liberty. The group performed both famous and obscure pieces, from composers such as Corrette, Carolo, Handel, and Gabrielli.
Space Time Continuo: Carolo
Release date: January 28, 2022
Physical/Digital Release
Stream/Purchase HERE