Works by Girolamo Kapsberger | Biagio Marini | Aurelio Virgiliano | Bartolomeo de Selma e Salaverde | Giovanni Battista Fontana | Marco Uccellini | Francesco Rognoni Taegio | Giovanni Antonio Pandolfi Mealli | Bartolomeo Montalbano | Alessandro Stradella
Small size, four gut strings, a short bow were at beginning the ingredients of the magic. Such magic happened in Italy, the cradle of the violin, during the seventeenth century. “Seicento!” is therefore a multifaceted time-travel through the Early Baroque, from Venice to Sicily, exploring the wonders of the first violin virtuosos and their dexterous-passionated playing. A collection of music born looking at Caravaggio, Bernini and Borromini’s masterworks.
Johann Sebastian Bach’s Sei Solo for unaccompanied violin figure amongst the baroque works on which the performance traditions of the 19th and 20th centuries weigh most heavily. Rediscovered halfway through the 19th century after having been forgotten for more than a century, these works quickly entered the repertoire of works performed by violinists during the Romantic period: from that moment...
The musical styles of Europe always arrive a bit later in Spain, but with the avantage that they are transformed to full maturity. This cd shows a unique version of how a symphony by Haydn was transformed for a performance in the Cahedral of Sevilla. But the real interest are the till yet unrecorded masterpieces by Antonio Ripa and Joseph Barrera. As always Enrico Onofri ensures a top...
In this recording, Jan Michiels transports us back to the Parisian salons of the 19th century. These were not only an ideal environment for Chopin – his Préludes op. 28 are a recurring thread throughout this album – but also for Debussy, whose Préludes are closely correlated with those of Chopin. Michiels opens his salon to various visitors: first Alfred Cortot, whose Chopin interpretations...
Without doubt, Benjamin Britten (1913-76) left an indelible impression on every genre of 20th century English music. However, it is his smaller scale vocal repertoire that is particularly fascinating. Featuring three of Britten’s “Canticles” as well as a selection of his best realizations (or “arrangements,” if you will) of songs by Henry Purcell (1659-95), this recording represents the mature...
Unique on today’s musical stage, this ensemble, composed of six violins, from bass to soprano, breathes life into a forgotten practice from the musical history of the 16th century.
Concerts, balls, processions, entertainments, improvisations, choreographed ballets… This concert is a journey through time, to rediscover the sound of baroque violins and viols.
The deep, luminous sonorities of Les...
Deep remorse and the longing for divine redemption are two of the central topics in the cantatas of Northern German Baroque composers. Griet De Geyter and Il Gardellino have selected three exemplary works in this genre by Dieterich Buxtehude, Georg Philipp Telemann and Johann Sebastian Bach, giving special emphasis to the clearly led voice and striking expressivity of the young Belgian soprano....
The Italian Renaissance is the golden age of the lute. In quality and quantity, the lute pieces from this period are comparable to the piano works of the 19th century. Most of the works selected for this recording are by Francesco da Milano, an extraordinary virtuoso and gifted composer who was also known as "Il Divino" (the Divine), an epithet he shared with Michelangelo and Monteverdi. In...
With this CD, violinist Mayumi Hirasaki, who has been Concerto Köln’s concertmaster since 2011, explores the chameleon-like possibilities of her instrument: when playing with scordatura, instead of the usual fifths interval between the violin strings, an alternative is used in which at least one string is tuned to a different pitch. This results in completely new sonic and harmonic...
The Partitas are the first work for harpsichord published by Johann Sebastian Bach. Between 1726 and 1730, the partitas were published separately, one per year, before being brought together in a single collection in 1731. Shortly after his appointment of Cantor of the Leipzig Thomaskirche, Bach decided to devote his Opus I to a fashionable genre: the harpsichord suite, a series of dances of...
Works by Girolamo Kapsberger | Biagio Marini | Aurelio Virgiliano | Bartolomeo de Selma e Salaverde | Giovanni Battista Fontana | Marco Uccellini | Francesco Rognoni Taegio | Giovanni Antonio Pandolfi Mealli | Bartolomeo Montalbano | Alessandro Stradella
