b'Program NotesCarlo Farina Capriccio StravaganteBorn in Mantua, Carlo Farina, one of the earliest known virtuoso violinists, moved to Dresden in 1626 where he was inspired by Heinrich Schtz to start composing. Farina moved freely around Europe, ultimately settling in Vienna, where he died of the plague. He is probably best known for his Capriccio Stravagante, although his composing output was considerable. This work is fascinating to string players (and others) for the unusual and groundbreaking techniques which Farina used to portray various instruments and animal sounds, specifically hens, a rooster, cats, and dogs. The work also contains movements which imitate the hurdy-gurdy, Spanish guitar, church organ, trumpets, and flutes. To achieve these sounds, Farina gives specific instructions for the player to double-stop (playing two strings simultaneously to imitate the drone of the hurdy-gurdy) to play sul ponticello (on the bridge) to copy the sound of a flute, to strum like a guitarist, to play col legno (hitting the string delicately with the wood of the bow) and to use bow portato (il tremulo) to create the sound of a church organ. In the latter case, Farinas humor is clearly portrayed, as the improvising organist clearly gets lost in a bar or two of muddled chromaticism, before thankfully finding his (or her) way back to the original key. All these movements are interspersed with lively contemporary dances. Although Buskaid musicians do not have the luxury of playing baroque instruments, they are all trained in baroque techniques, and this performance includes some imaginative decorations which would have been very familiar to Farina and his contemporaries.Claude Debussy Danse sacre et danse profane I have been fascinated to learn the background to the Debussy Danses since I grew up with both a Pleyel piano and an rard (pedal) harpliterally the only possessions my impoverished parents owned when we emigrated (on an unconverted troop ship) with both instruments to New Zealand in 1947. My father, buskaid.org.za/ 13'