The liner notes lay out the problems with these Giuseppe Tartini works. In the late 1760s, the term a Quattro (in 4 parts) was somewhat vague. Did Tartini intend his Sonate a Quattro to be played with only four string instruments, as a proto-string quartet? And what about the role of the harpsichord, tacitly a […]
early music
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Stefano Molardi branches out with Bach Family Organ Works
Consider this release a companion volume to Stefano Molardi’s previous Bach recording. That 2-disc set featured the complete works of Johann Michael Bach and Johann Christoph Bach (Johann Sebastian’s first cousin, once removed). There was enough material by J.M. Bach and J.C. Bach to fill two CDs. Not so in the case of the family members […]
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Jan Ladislav Dussek Sonatas, Vol. 7 – simple vs. complex
Volume Seven of Brilliant Classics’ on-going series has a nice balance. Jan Ladislav Dussek’s massive sonata “Retour à Paris” is offset by the featherweight the Op. 47 “Sonata facile.” Sonata faciles were just that — easy sonatas. Designed for the amateur, these works were simple in structure, and simple to perform. Mozart and Beethoven both wrote sonata […]
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Ronn McFarlane – The Celtic Lute goes beyond tradition
By my count, Ronn McFarlane has recorded at least 14 albums of Celtic music, both as a soloist and as a member of the Baltimore Consort. Scottish tunes of the 17th Century were often transcribed for lute (and McFarlane’s recorded a good deal of it). This release presents McFarlane playing his own lute arrangements of […]
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Heinrich Schütz Madrigale & Hochzeitsmusiken Bring Element of Fun
Carus concludes their traversal of Heinrich Schutz’s music with a collection of secular compositions. Schutz was primarily known for his sacred compositions, which influenced generations of Protestant composers (especially in Germany). This release features secular madrigals and wedding music that show a different aspect of Schutz. Schutz studied in Venice as a young man. The […]
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Christoph Graupner Solo and Dialogue Cantatas Surprisingly Light and Airy
CPO continues their exploration of Christoph Graupner’s catalog with a selection of his solo and dialogue cantatas. There’s a lot to choose from. This set includes five of his 177 surviving sacred cantatas. They span a decade, from 1709 to 1719. Yet all five cantatas are surprisingly consistent in style. In these works, the music […]
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La Rossignol: Arie e Danze Cortigiane
La Rossignol is a collection of dancers, singers, and musicians devoted to performing Renaissance and Baroque dances. “Aire e Danze Cortigiane” presents some of the tunes they perform on stage. The selections aren’t especially ground-breaking. Many early music groups have recorded music from Tielman Susato, Pierre Attaignant, Ambrosius Dalza, and Thoinot Arbeau. The collection of […]
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Le Concert Brisé Offer Mellow Performances of Schmelzer Sonatas
There’s something about the sound of a cornett I find very soothing. It’s even mellower than the flugelhorn. And when played by William Dongois, it can sound as smooth as melted caramel. And, in this case, that’s all to the good. This release features a selection of works by Johann Heinrich Schmelzer. Schmelzer (c.1623-1680) was […]
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Pacoloni Ensemble performs Thysius Lute Book with rough authenticity
Dutch philosopher, theologian, and musician Adriaan Smout collected over 900 compositions from the late 1500s. This massive collection made its way to John Thysius, a book collector, for whom the collection is named. The collection is a virtual cross-section of European lute music. While most of the sources aren’t listed, modern scholars have traced works […]