Christoph Graupner wrote over 1,400 sacred cantatas. So there’s a lot to choose from — even for an album of just Easter cantatas. Christian Bonath has done a superb job programming a set of Holy Week cantatas that span decades of Graupner’s output. And each one receives a recording world premiere. Just to run down […]
Baroque music
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Mexican Baroque masterworks by Juan De Lienas
The Newberry Consort has assembled an impressive body of recordings over the years. But this one is a real standout. The consort explores the repertoire of the Mexican Baroque. Specifically, music from a 17th Century manuscript collection housed in a Mexico City convent. The primary composer is Juan De Lienas, who’s something of a cipher. […]
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Ensemble Klingekunst artfully perform Martin Christian Schultze
Martin Christian Schultze may be somewhat of a mystery, and the purpose of his collection may not be entirely clear. But there’s no doubt — at least to me — about the quality of these six sinfonias. They’re well-crafted works, played with enthusiasm and energy. The Trattamento dell’Harmonia was published in 1733, and the title […]
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L’Arte dell’Arco triumphs with latest Giovanni Platti release
Giovanni Benedetto Platti was born when Johann Sebastian Bach was 13, and died when Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was seven. Just as his life spanned the late Baroque and the early Classical era, so did his music. This release features four of Platti’s nine published harpsichord concertos. The works were written between 1730 and 1750, for […]
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Per la Notte di Natale – superb Christmas concertos
Arcangelo Corelli’s Christmas Concerto (Concerto Grosso in G minor, Op. 6, No. 8) often turns up on classical Christmas music albums. And I admit I never quite understood why. To my ears, there wasn’t anything especially Christmassy about it. That’s what makes this release so welcome. The liner notes explain the aesthetic behind these Italian […]
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Antonio Vandini Complete Works carefully researched
Antonio Vandini was one of the celebrated cellists of his age. And that age was the early 1700s when he shared the spotlight with his close friend Giuseppe Tartini. Vandini, like other virtuosos of his time, composed music for his instrument. But he didn’t write much that survived — just six sonatas and a concerto. […]
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Francesco Mancini Recorder Sonatas engage the ear
Francesco Mancini’s collection of XII Solos for a Violin or Flute were first published in London around 1724. They proved so popular that the music went through at least three editions. As the title suggests, Mancini’s music was composed for either violin or flute. “Flute” was a somewhat generic term, and could apply to either […]
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Cavatina Duo refreshes the repertoire
It’s a real challenge to take something very familiar and make it sound new. And not just novelty new, but new that retains the substance of the original. I think the Cavatina Duo successfully met that challenge, not once but twice with this new recording. They present an arrangement of Marin Marais’ “Follies d’Espagne.” The […]
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Harry Christophers and The Sixteen new Purcell release most welcome
Bottom line. If you enjoyed Volumes One and Two, you’ll find Volume Three of equal quality. Also, if you’ve enjoyed any of the Sixteen’s previous Purcell releases on Coro, you’ll definitely want to add this one to your library. If the previous paragraph doesn’t apply to you, read on. Harry Christophers and The Sixteen have […]