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[January] is one of the most fascinating discs to have come my way in a long time. Intellectually stimulating yet containing works that are sonically beautiful as well as others that are granitic, this disc punches way above its 75-minute duration… The Lute Suite, “Syncrétique,” … fuses Schoenberg, Dowland and 15th-century dance. Immediately, the sound of the 14-course archlute, quite closely recorded here, wrests us a million miles away from the world of the Piano Sonata; yet as the music progresses, links of harmonic expression become clearer. All the movements are short, but make their points marvelously; the fourth movement, Giga, is less outgoing than one might expect from just the title alone, speaking more of withheld secrets than of courtly extroversion… 

 

To go from that to the world of the Five Songs on Romantic Texts is another large leap… There is a searching quality to this set of songs that verges, in “If by dull rhymes,” on the hypnotic… 

 

The solo archlute piece DisOrders has a fascinating organizational system, part of which is that the first movement is actually highly ordered, but deliberately does not sound so, perhaps a reflection of the response to many first-time listeners to 12-tone music. The central movement, entitled “Il Principe,” is more songlike; and listening to the superbly delineated lines reminds on just how excellent a performer Rimple is.  

 

By far the work that made the greatest impression on the present writer was To Golias, for countertenor and electric guitar; particularly the lazy guitar thumps of “intoxication,” the first song, against the otherworldly, swooping melody above. Rimple sings his own work with Van Stiefel on guitar. There is unexpected poignancy in the opening guitar upward arpeggiation to the final “To my readers.”…

 

I love Rimple’s assertion in the interview above that Schoenberg’s works are now, in a sense, early music; it is this awareness of history, and how fertile it is when it feeds our present, that makes Rimple’s music so special. Any jaded listeners out there who think they have heard it all need to hear this.

 

- Colin Clarke, Fanfare Magazine 39:6 (July/August 2016)

 

It was that new work that most impressed Friday evening. “Le nouveau chant des oiseaux” (The new song of birds) by Mark Rimple is nothing short of a masterpiece of vocal solo and choral settings of evocative poems about birds in their flights and in their songs. Rimple – who was on hand to accompany his own music on the lute as well as play throughout the evening – employed a remarkably delicate harmonic language of subtly changing voicings and continually shifting textures to provide an organic, flowing river of sound that enveloped the listener in a cloud of sonority. The French text was laid out with supple flexibility in the choral settings and shimmering clarity in the solo sections, and Rimple efficaciously balanced homophonic textures with Renaissance-inspired counterpoint for the choir. I found Rimple’s newly minted version far superior to its Renaissance original, “Le chant des oiseaux” by Clement Janequin, heard just prior to its rendition.

 

- Michael Caruso, The Chestnut Hill Local 9–29-11

 

The program also included a stunning new work by Mark Rimple, who served as lutenist for the occasion. Rimple’s [Nouvelle] Chansons des Oiseaux followed a 16th-Century Chants des Oiseaux, and the juxtaposition provided a striking lesson in the development of our attitudes toward the natural world...

 

Rimple’s movingly beautiful piece takes a very different approach. The four soloists perform in front of a chorus that permeates the work with a mood of reverence and mystery. We may know more about the natural world than our ancestors did, but our knowledge of subjects like molecular biology and the long evolution of life makes it seem far more mysterious and miraculous.

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- Tom Purdum, Broadstreet Review, 9-27-11

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Late in the program, Mark Rimple’s striking lute solo in Pierre de Molins’ De ce que foul pense from the Faenza codex turned heads.

 

- Daniel Hathaway, “Les Délices and Blue Heron in Lessons of Love at Plymouth (Jan 19), Clevelandclassical.com, 1-22-20

 

Although lutenists may know of [Rimple] through his recordings and performances with Trefoil, the Newberry Consort, Piffaro, Pomerium, and numerous other ensembles, Mr. Rimple has not hitherto figured among the country’s leading lute virtuosi. That is about to change... All of this music is very well played throughout, with impeccable technique and musicianship, which should be sufficient to place Mr. Rimple among the first rank of U.S. lutenists…

 

This is evident from the start, with the expressive ricercar and two intabulations of vocal works by Spinacino. Spinacino throws so much ornamentation and passage work into his intabulations of “Ma bouche rit” (Ockeghem) and “Fortuna d’un gran tempo” (at- tributed to Josquin) as to make it a serious challenge to the performer to toss them off with enough lightness of touch to keep the themes of the original vocal works discernible to the listener. Mr. Rimple does this with great success. 

 

- Michael Stover, “Tre liuti: A Journey Through the History of Italian Composer-Performers for Lutes in ‘veil ton’” 
Lute Society of America Quarterly, Summer/Fall 2018.

 

The [lute] works also clearly share Rimple’s extraordinarily sensitive playing. His careful attention to each work’s design allows for a rhetorical pause or delay here, a burst of energy there, a lovingly turned ornament elsewhere. In a manner of speaking, he makes these pieces transparent; one can easily hear the main melodic thrust of each selection despite the complexity of the diminutions or variations layered upon it. These pieces breathe.

 

Listen, for example, to the short but gorgeous Tastar de’ corde by Joan Ambrosio Dalza (fl. 1508), with its alternations between strummed and broken chords, its cadential pauses, its gorgeous shift to a delicately soft dynamic. Or, perhaps, to Francesco Canova da Milano’s Fantasy No. 33, with its slow layering of quick runs, building from low to high, sustaining the long melodic line. But it would be possible to wax poetic about each selection, in some fashion. It is a well designed and beautifully executed album that showcases the longevity and ingenuity of lute composition in early modern Italy, and a marvelous modern approach to its performance.

 

- Karen Cook, Early Music America CD Review, 11-5-2018.

 

 

Although quite a lot can be determined about the performance practice of medieval music, a great deal remains speculative. That places the responsibility for the style of interpretations heavily on the shoulders of the performers. These three have earned their international reputations by combining scholarship with practical experimentation to establish accurate musical texts (no small challenge, given how greatly medieval notational systems differed from our own) and render them in a way that brings the music alive. … The contributions from bowed and plucked strings were not less elegant. A particularly appreciated detail was how the players segued seamlessly from tuning their instruments into the pieces via improvised preludes, a practice that is well documented but that few performers bother to honor. Recitals of medieval music can sometimes be a penance to endure, but this one ushered listeners directly to Paradiso. 

 

- James M. Keller, “Dante’s Musical Journey” Santa Fe New Mexican, 11-27-15

 

 

The musicians of Trefoil (Marcia Young, Drew Minter, and Mark Rimple) have explored learning complex ars subtilior (more subtle art) music from separate parts, and they became so skilled that they were able to learn new pieces from parts in original notation.  The suppleness and lack of mathematics in their performances bears out the validity of this approach, which admittedly is not quick and efficient.

 

- Tom Moore, “From Page to Stage” EMag Spring, 2015, p. 47

 

Several gems emerged over the course of the evening. In the “Ave maris stella” by Jacob Obrecht, soprano Emily Noël and countertenor Mark Rimple blended beautifully together. Notably, Rimple also doubled with his instrumental colleagues on the lute with equal ease… In an instrumental treatment of the “Ave maria” by Marco Cara, harpist Christa Patton shared some wonderful duet passages with Rimple on the lute that were both harmonious and delightful.

 

- Patrick McCoy, “Performing Arts:  Renaissance Christmas”, Washington Life Magazine

12-18-14

 

The instrumentalists -- Consort co-artistic director Robert Eisenstein (viol and recorder), Anna Marsh (winds), Christa Patton (harp, recorder, bagpipe), Mark Rimple (lute), Daniel Stillman (winds) -- offered considerable expressive nuance to go with generally impeccable technique and a great sense of rhythmic flow.

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The same could be said of the warm-toned, beautifully blended vocalists -- soprano Emily Noel, tenor Aaron Sheehan, baritones Michael McCarthy and Matt Sullivan, and, when he wasn't doing lutenist duties, countertenor Rimple.

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- Tim Smith, “Affecting music for the season from Evolution Series, Folger Consort”, Baltimore Sun, 12-17-14

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[Fleur de valeur] gathers together mostly 13th and 14th century trouvère songs, chansons and motets by Ciconia, Dunstable, Dufay, Binchois and others, interpreted by the performers of Trefoil with subtlety, blend and nuance.

 

- Janelle Davis, Harmonia Podcast (Indiana Public Media), 1-24-14

 

Mark Rimple then took this up practically in a lecture-demonstration entitled ‘Techniques for the unaccompanied performance of medieval estampies on a reproduction of the British Museum citole’. He explained that on first playing Kate Buehler-McWilliams’s reconstruction of the instrument, he was struck by features that seemed inimical to musical playing: a pinched high register, an apparently awkward holding position and the restrictions that this imposed on left-hand mobility, the difficulty of sustaining notes, and the stiff resistance to the plectrum. These at first seemed to make rapid execution and musical phrasing impossible, raising the question of whether a jongleur or minstrel could ever play the instrument in a virtuosic way. With experience of the instrument, however, he prepared two estampies successfully, finding that the apparently disadvantageous features in fact offered distinct advantages, including an effective use of drones. More unexpectedly, he discovered a percussive capability that enabled the sound to rise easily above the ambient noise of various public spaces and social situations. The stiffer the plectrum (of wood, bone or large-bird quill) the stronger the upstroke can be. These features were demonstrated during the paper and, more extensively, in the recital the following day…

 

Not strictly part of the symposium, a concert that evening in the church of St Bartholomew the Great, Smithfield, effectively represented the goal to which all the discussions ultimately led. The program was careful not to claim too much in its title—‘Crossing the Borders: An Entertainment Inspired by Images of Jongleurs and Clerks in Illuminated French and English Psalters’—but it made excellent use of Mark Rimple’s ideas… A carefully-balanced selection of music ranging from dances and bawdy songs to sacred-texted motets was magnificently performed by Shira Kammen, Mark Rimple and Mary Springfels, all of whom both played and sang, sometimes simultaneously. In addition to citoles the program used vielle, harp and psaltery, so that some variation of instrumental timbre was available, including the most commonly-depicted ensembles.  While this variety played its part in a hugely enjoyable concert, it was inevitably McWilliams’s reconstructed citoles that were under closest observation. In the event, they emerged triumphant, with the citole shown to be a versatile instrument with strong melodic, harmonic and rhythmic capabilities. The concert was sponsored by the Galpin Society, Gamut Strings, ‘Unprofitable Instruments’ and Carved Strings, all deserving of our heartfelt gratitude for an exceptional early-music experience.

 

- Richard Rashdall, “The British Museum Citole:  New Perspectives 4 – 5 November 2010”, 

in Early Music Performer/Journal of the National Early Music Association (UK) 28

(April 2010), p. 31 & 33

 

It is certainly rare that one hears a live performance of the latter pieces; their very difficulty make them almost impossible to pull off with any sort of musicality, and yet this trio did that, and more. …

 

Rimple is known for his singing, lute playing, and compositions; his interests in music theory and the history of music notation are evident as he explains to audiences the idiosyncrasies of the appearance of the music they’re playing. …

 

The performance was intriguing due to its rich accompaniment, both instrumental (harp) and with sung drones, and a degree of miming to convey the song’s meaning. The “Salve regina glorie” from the 13th century Las Huelgas Codex, compiled for the nuns of Las Huelgas convent in Burgos, was a beautifully sung duet by Rimple and Young of two-part French polyphony of increased rhythmic intricacy. The music here and throughout the rest of the program consisted of music whose phrases began and ended with the perfect consonances of fifth, unison and octave, all beautifully in tune.

 

- Laura McDowell, “Trefoil:  Three Superb Musicians on a Medieval Mission”,

Classical Voice of North Carolina, March 14, 2010

http://www.cvnc.org/reviews/2010/032010/Trefoil.html

 

 

Rhythmically, the [Three] songs [for countertenor and archlute] are reminiscent of the recit-like writing of Henry Purcell, where the frequent meter changes are an attempt to preserve the natural cadence of the language.  The lute part often supports the singer in a harmonic sense, but functions rhythmically and melodically independent of the vocal line. The song cycle is wonderfully colorful and serves the texts most expressively.

 

- Steven Rickards, Twentieth Century Music for Countertenor (Scarecrow Press, 2008)

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Just as new to me was the eerily beautiful medieval music performed by the vocal and instrumental trio Trefoil the week before Christmas. As part of the weekly Midtown Concerts series at St. Bartholomew’s Church on Park Avenue, the members of Trefoil played 14th-century Italian nativity music in the church’s intimate chapel at 1:15. They began by slowly walking up the aisle, and from my spot in the 6th of 15 rows I could hear each voice distinctly as it passed, in clear, otherworldly harmonies.

 

- Ben Sisaro, “A Joyful Noise:  Midday Music”, The New York Times, January 18, 2008

 

Mark Rimple's lute solos had the interpretive specificity of a great vocal performance.    

 

- David Patrick Stearns:  “Piffaro melds music, Bosch”, The Philadelphia Inquirer, February 13, 2006

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From the Newberry Consort…comes a wholly delightful anthology of Italian and French music from the late Middle Ages, Puzzles and Perfect Beauty… These performances sound admirably at ease with the formidable complexities of Ciconia…and others.  There is nothing at all forced about these renditions; rather it sounds as though the performers enjoy them so much, and that is far from a small achievement in a repertory renowned for its almost mystical obscurity… Another outstanding track is the Istampita Ghaetta, in which [percussionist Najib] Bahri once again excels himself, as does lutenist Mark Rimple – an utterly convincing and subtle treatment of a dance which can easily simply become an aimless stomp.  ‘Puzzles and perfect beauty’, indeed.

 

- Ivan Moody:  “Medieval miscellany”, Early Music (Oxford) 34:3, February 2006.

 
This disc of late 14th century French polyphony from the mediaeval trio, Trefoil, is both an enjoyable and a scholarly production. Rather than turning to modern transcriptions, the group worked out the music from the actual mediaeval manuscripts, finding enlightenment and clarification in so doing. The pieces are certainly tremendously atmospheric and, together with the texts, give a good insight into that particular period… The three voices – one soprano (Marcia Young), two counter-tenors (Drew Minter and Mark Rimple) - work well together. Perfectly integrated, they offer great clarity of phrase in the beautiful interweaving lines… The counter-tenors are both excellent… This is a delightful disc – well presented with good, clear notes, and contains some beautiful and entrancing works. 

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- Review of Masters, Mazes and Monsters:  Music Web International, January 2006

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But the highlights were ‘Duiel Angoisseues’… and Obrecht’s ‘T’Andernaken,’ on which Rimple proved a deft lutenist… The performances were consistently shapely and energetic, and if the Frick’s concert room doesn’t provide the reverberation that recordings have made us expect in such early music, there is something to be said for hearing this repertory performed with such intimacy and clarity.

 

- Allan Kozinn:  “Those Wacky Medieval Tunes”, The New York Times, November 15, 2005

 

Mark Rimple’s plectrum lute playing [on Puzzles and Perfect Beauty], while often an accompaniment to a singer or bowed instrument, consistently stands out.  Bright in timbre, virtuosic and rhythmically incisive, it helps bring out the exuberance of this flamboyant music. ‘La douce cere’ by Bartolino da Padua… exemplifies this art.  The rapid embellishments of the melody… create a propulsive filigree of notes over an unadorned part… Suffice to say that [The Newberry Consort], collectively and as individuals, occupies a plane shared by few other ensembles.

 

- James Stimson, Lute Society of America Quarterly, November 2005

 

This recording preserves historical integrity so carefully and is so beautifully performed that it is hard to single out tracks.  Surely some of the most noteworthy are Ellen Hargis, Mark Rimple, and Drew Minter’s performance of the virelai “Sus un fontayne,” complete with all the marvelous free-flowing lines and occasional dissonance… Perhaps the most delightful track is Hargis, Rimple, and David Douglass’s interpretation of the virelai “En ce gracieux temps,” with its echoing cuckoo calls.

 

- Review of Puzzles and Perfect Beauty, Early Music America, Summer 2005

 

Both [ballades] and the istampita, a chain of instrumental pieces probably designed to be danced, are splendidly performed by Springfels (vielle and citole), Douglass (rebec and vielle), and Mark Rimple (lute)… Entertaining?  Certainly.  Viscerally appealing?  Without a doubt.

 

- “The Noyse of Noyse:  A New Early-Music Label is Born,” Fanfare Magazine, May/June 2005

 

But perhaps the highlight is the ‘Ave Maris Stella’ from the Faenza codex, on which Rimple demonstrates just how well-suited the lute is to this virtuosic repertoire.  On this recording the lute, played with a plectrum, imparts rhythmic vitality to the songs and shines in its all-too-brief moments in the spotlight.

 

- Review of Cristo è Nato:  The Lute Society of America Quarterly, May 2005

 

In ... the beautiful and highly complex ‘Sus une fontaine’ by Ciconia, we have a superb a capella performance with Minter, Ellen Hargis, and Mark Rimple.

 

 - Review of Puzzles and Perfect Beauty, Music Web International, March 2005.

 

Trefoil not only sings the music with accuracy but also colors and inflects it with meaning that takes it out of pure abstraction… In nearly every piece, you marveled at how many singular musicians stood before you.

 

-  “On a road map to early music,” David Patrick Stearns, The Philadelphia Inquirer, October 25 2004

 

Consort regulars David Douglas, Drew Minter, and director Mary Springfels were joined by guest lutenist Mark Rimple, a superb countertenor and lutenist who has collaborated with the ensemble in previous concerts… Let’s hope his contributions can become as regular as his busy schedule will allow.  His technique as a lutenist is fluid and confident, adding a kinetic lift to the ensemble.  His considerable assets as a countertenor include a centered, clear tone, effortless upper notes capable of pinpoint agility and a slightly nasal quality that blends seamlessly with the bowed gut strings in the consort… ‘Un lay de consolation,’… used several combinations within the same work as it progressed.  Rimple breathed life into this vivid poetry, with beautifully supple phrases and then a shrug of the shoulders with the line, ‘How shall I withstand this?  I do not know.’

 

- Review of Miracles & Martyrs concert by the Newberry Consort, 

Michael Cameron, Chicago Tribune, May 22, 2004

 

[Rimple's] Reflections is a series of short pieces, displaying all the surprisingly varied resources of the guitar.

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- The Taos News, Taos, New Mexico, 2-11-1999 p. 32

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Takemitsu's Toward the Sea, played by [flautist Ed] Schultz and guitarist Mark Rimple, was played at a level to honor the composer's memory. The guitar voice set off resonances that multiplied the colors of the two instruments.

 

- Daniel Webster, Philadelphia Inquirer, Apr. 15, 1997

 

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Lutenist Mark Rimple set the tone for the program, playing a virtuosic 17th-century sonata by Michelangelo Galilei to contrast with his own Lute Suite No. 1. His music casts a chromatic grid on the lute’s light, clear sounds and shows how contemporary rhythmic complexity is an outgrowth of tradition and the potential of the traditional instrument itself.   In the “Corrente'' in his work, the complex rhythmic crossings contrast with the fleet linear articulation of Galilei's sonata.

 

- Daniel Webster, “School’s Contemporary Players Open Season”, The Philadelphia Inquirer, 11-4-97