Michel Podolski (Lute)

Born: 1928 - Brussels, Belgium

The Belgian lutenist, Michel Podolski, was nterested in scientific things as well as music and art. He not only studied music, to which he gave his principal attention, but also painting, sculpture, and colonial agronomy.

Since 1948, Michel Podolski has worked in Pro Musica Antiqua, taking part as a lutenist in the latter's concerts, broadcasts, and recordings throughout Western Europe, the USA and in Canada, not to speak of his considerable activity as a soloist. He has thus been able to "live over" and to have personal experience of the entire repertory for the lute (16^th-18^th centuries), and of the music of all kinds - motets, ballades, rondeaux, virelais, chansons, ricercari, dance suites - of the Medieval and Renaissance periods. In the 1950's and the 1960's he had the reputation of probably the foremost lutenist of the day. His knowledge of lute literature is well-nigh exhaustive; he has transcribed some two thousands works and has done much to replace the lute and its music in the rank they deserve, not only because of their dominant historical role but also because of their intrinsic artistic value.

Source: Liner notes to the LP's 'Renaissance Dances for the Lute' (Orion Records, 1972); '18^th Century Lute Trios' (Period Records)
Contributed by Aryeh Oron (July 2008)

Michel Podolski: Short Biography | Recordings of Instrumental Works

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