Herbert Stanley Littlejohn
17th and 18th Century Works of
Funerary Violin
The Guild of Funerary Violinists 2007

01. Orlando Addleston from "Funerarius for M.W. Esquire" (1681) - I. Grave
02. Orlando Addleston from "Funerarius for M.W. Esquire" (1681) - III. Allegretto
03. Michel Meunier from "Pompes Funèbres No. 2" (1693) - Pompe I
04. Michel Meunier from "Pompes Funèbres No. 2" (1693) - Pompe II
05. Michel Meunier from "Pompes Funèbres No. 2" (1693) - Pompe III
06. Kaspar Ignaz Faustmann from "Todesmusik" (1722) - Intrada
07. Kaspar Ignaz Faustmann from "Todesmusik" (1722) - Trauermarsch II

Latest installment in what seems the controversial-est recording series of the year. Basically, what we're told (and are to believe) is that these solo violin pieces, supposedly performed by Herbert Stanley Littlejohn in 1956, were taken from a book of music discovered in a dusty corner of a church in 1954, dating back to the late 1600's! In the process of recording, Littlejohn tripped on an elderly cat and fell down a flight of stairs, breaking his neck, fracturing his skull, and dying instantly before he was able to complete the suites. Luckily for us, his legacy, however vague or incomplete, was then inherited by fellow peers known as The Guild of Funerary Violonists (formed in 1586!), who've passed it on, along with others in the series, to one Rohan Kriwaczek - a violonist as well, in constant search of the "saddest music in the world", and now responsible for publishing. And yes, he even wrote a new book.

Alright? I myself am a bit uncertain what to make of this, but willing to give way to an open approach. The music is exquisite, genuine or not; the melodies mournful and sad; the playing smooth and refined; the recording lo-fi, but warm and shimmery. Even without the fairytale backstory and all the history, the funerary violin would still be entirely recommended. Best enjoyed while picking dead crows in the woods.

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