"Her voice had contralto inflexions, tender and deep": there we have an excellent summing-up of this voice that has been traditional for at least a century and a half. One thinks of Kathleen Ferrier in Brahms and Mahler, of Erda in .The Ri…
“Pungent, shapely, and to-the-point, Cafe Zimmermann give gutsy accounts of popular concertos.” --BBC Music Magazine, January 2014 **** “Cafe Zimmermann are somewhat gentler with them than those who adopt the drivingly projected style popular these …
The Italian composer and violinist Antonio Vivaldi was born in Venice in 1678 and after his ordination in 1703 embarked on an intermittent career in the service of the Ospedale della Pietà, an institution for the education of orphan, illegitimate or…
“Queyras's Adagio, with the lightest of accompaniments - solo lute - is especially eloquent...Queyras's scheme, alternating the cello with varied sinfonias and concertos for the string band, is particularly successful, with a series of extre…
The contents of this CD make a diverse collection, only loosely held together by the generic title. That title is derived from the first item, a little-known, short, three-movement Vivaldi Sinfonia, the last two of which, linked together, play for l…
“I’ve waxed lyrical about Azzolini’s playing on the two previous discs in this Vivaldi Edition series. Nothing changes here in this third volume … [a] lovely disc” --International Record Review, March 2013 “[Azzolini] does not necessarily do what yo…
The essence of a concerto is the contrast and combination of a solo instrument with a larger instrumental ensemble. Having developed out of the Baroque concept of concerto grosso, the concerto genre was fully established in the eighteenth century, a…
"On the level of sheer vocal beauty and virtuosity, this is a staggering disc. Throughout, the gorgeous Kermes voice glints like the finest gold picked out by a shaft of sunlight, unfailingly on the note, and negotiating every run and ornament …
"The performances are delightful and unfailingly musical, and the playing of both soloists and orchestra throughout is impeccable. The recording is admirable. Very strongly recommended." --CD Review
The cantata da camera genre enjoyed its Golden Era in the early eighteenth century in Italy, mainly in Rome, through the auspices of employers as Cardinals Ottoboni and Pamphiliij and the Marquis Ruspoli, who organized several Accademie in their hom…
"[Eklund's] virtuoso skills, consistently sweet tone, purity of intonation, and sense of ease rank him as the world's best." --American Record Guide, August 2002 Reviewing the first volume in Naxos's "The Art of the Baroqu…
Baroque music describes the period in Western classical music dating from approximately 1600 to 1750. The Baroque period saw the development of functional tonality, as well as new instrumental playing techniques and musical notation. It was during t…
“…Pahud's performances are natural and convincing, yet at the same time subtly stylish in matters of ornamentation, articulation and rhythm; the lilting first and second movements of No 5 are superbly poetic matchings of Baroque sensibility and …
The acclaimed Polish period band Arte dei Suonatori perform eight of Vivaldi’s concertos a Quattro. Their version of Handel’s 12 Concerto grossi Op. 6 was awarded ‘Orchestral Choice of the Month’ in BBC Music Magazine, alongside further critical acc…
'Nicholas Daniel's playing, beautifully controlled and judiciously ornamented, makes it easy to listen again to a choice selection' --Fanfare, USA 'Nicholas Daniel plays quite superbly' --Gramophone