For those unaware, the supreme poet of the lute (Gramophone), Hopkinson Smith, here on his new recording, Bright and Early creates an intimate and refined dialogue between Joan Ambrosio Dalza and Francesco Spinacino, witnesses and actors in the flowering of the culture of the instrument in Italy at the dawn of the 16th century.

Tireless pioneer for more than forty years, greedy for the most distant scores and defending the restitution of sometimes confused manuscripts, Hopkinson Smith does not shrink from any challenge to explore and revive the immense repertoire of his instrument.

His art, nourished by a historical science as well as a deep faith in intuition, leans here on the first printed music for the lute, and among the first sources which are accessible to us concerning the instrument.

In a perfectly symmetrical program articulated around a central piece by Marchetto Cara, the Swiss-American lutenist interweaves pieces inspired by popular dances by Joan Ambrosio Dalza and several free-form ricercari by Francesco Spinacino, excerpts from collections of tablatures published in Venice in 1507 and 1508.

�Certain critics may cry heresy in the face of the musical reconstruction that I deemed necessary to make, starting from the degree of confusion in which a good number of works by Spinacino have come down to us�, warns Hopkinson Smith.

�But from my point of view, one had to either leave the originals to their fate and avoid playing them, or tighten the loose threads of a convincing tapestry as a work of art,� he adds.

Joan Ambrosio Dalza (?-1508)
1. Dalza: Saltarello ala ferrarese (Intabulatura de lauto, Libro quarto) (3:40)
Francesco Spinacino (1485 - 1507)
2. Spinacino: Recercare 6 (Intabolatura de lauto, Libro primo, Libro secondo) (2:12)
3. Spinacino: Recercare 13 (Intabolatura de lauto, Libro primo, Libro secondo) (2:24)
Joan Ambrosio Dalza
4. Dalza: Piva ala ferrarese (Intabulatura de lauto, Libro quarto) (2:17)
5. Dalza: Caldibi castigliano (Intabulatura de lauto, Libro quarto) (1:48)
6. Dalza, Smith: Caldibi saltarello (Intabulatura de lauto, Libro quarto) (3:05)
Francesco Spinacino
7. Spinacino: Recercare 23 (Intabolatura de lauto, Libro primo, Libro secondo) (3:33)
8. Spinacino: Recercare 4 (Intabolatura de lauto, Libro primo, Libro secondo) (4:28)
Joan Ambrosio Dalza: 9. Dalza: Pavana ala ferrarese (Intabulatura de lauto, Libro quarto) (4:28)
Marchetto Cara (1465 - 1525)
10. Cara: Io non compro pi� speranza (Franciscus bossinensis, Libro primo) (3:03)
Joan Ambrosio Dalza
11. Dalza: Poi che volse la mia stella (Intabulatura de lauto, Libro quarto) (2:30)
Francesco Spinacino:
12. Spinacino: Recercare 25 (Intabolatura de lauto, Libro primo, Libro secondo) (2:31)
13. Spinacino: Recercare 15 (Intabolatura de lauto, Libro primo, Libro secondo) (3:20)
Joan Ambrosio Dalza
14. Dalza: Pavana ala venetiana (Intabulatura de lauto, Libro quarto) (3:53)
15. Dalza: Saltarelloala venetiana (Intabulatura de lauto, Libro quarto) (1:51)
16. Dalza: Piva ala venetiana (Intabulatura de lauto, Libro quarto) (3:13)
Francesco Spinacino
17.Spinacino: Recercare 12 (Intabolatura de lauto, Libro primo, Libro secondo) (3:24)
18. Spinacino: Recercare 9 (Intabolatura de lauto, Libro primo, Libro secondo) (4:03)
Joan Ambrosio Dalza
19. Dalza: Poi che�l ciel contrario adverso (Intabulatura de lauto, Libro quarto) (2:15)
20. Dalza: Calata ala spagnola ditto terzetti di zuan Ambroso Dalza (Intabulatura de lauto, Libro quarto) (5:18)
21. Dalza: Tastar de corde (Intabulatura de lauto, Libro quarto) (1:18)

This oh-so beautifully sculptured, ornate gossamer of a recording opens n the delicate nature of Joan Ambrosio Dalza�s dulcet Saltarello ala ferrarese and then brings us the a pairing from Francesco Spinacino, in the form of the shimmering Recercare 6 and the more intricately dedicated Recercare 13.

Along next is another trifecta from Dalza, which opens on the flirtatious Piva ala ferrarese, the beautifully-sculptured Caldibi castigliano, culminating on the Dalza/Smith-entwinned Caldibi saltarello, and they are in turn backed seamlessly by another duo from Spinacino - the intricately-laced Recercare 23 and the artful Recercare 4.

Up next is another dutiful work from Dalza, this time an elegant rendering of Pavana ala ferrarese, which itself backed by an aching reverent work from Marchetto Cara, Io non compro pi� speranza, the adroit Io non compro pi� speranza by Marchetto Cara, a rather lavishly twinkling Poi che volse la mia stella (Joan Ambrosio Dalza), and then we get brought forth two more from Spinacino: the gently animated Recercare 25 and the sweeping Recercare 15.

We are then treated to three more from Dalza: the truly masterful Pavana ala venetiana, the joyous musings within Saltarelloala venetiana, the delicate embrace of Piva ala venetiana, before two more from Spinacino: the almost fragile Recercare 12, and the free flowing Recercare 9, the entire recording rounding out on three more from Dalza: the enthusiastically-crafted Poi che�l ciel contrario adverso, the softly generous Calata ala spagnola ditto terzetti di zuan Ambroso Dalza, closing on the fine grained luxuries heard within Tastar de corde.

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