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Concerti op. 2, op. 5, op. 6 Sep 2, 2011

Back in 1998, Concerto Köln recorded 9 concerti by the composer Evaristo Felice dall'Abaco, whom died in 1742. As the liner notes cannot resist to point out, the composer's style varies greatly from his early works through to his later ones.

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Concerti op. 2, op. 5, op. 6

Aug 30, 2011

Composers
Jean-Marie Leclair
Label
Harmonia Mundi
Catalog no
HMC 901617
Released
1997

London Baroque have recorded the opus four collection of trio sonatas by Jean-Marie Leclair on Harmonia Mundi some years ago.

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Leclair: Sonates en trio, op. 4

Corelli: Arcangelo Aug 25, 2011
Composers
Arcangelo Corelli

I recently reviewed a really well-done recording by Musica Antiqua Roma that starts with a Corelli sonata, then goes to a number of other…

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Corelli: Arcangelo

2Cellos Aug 17, 2011

I wondered what this was doing in the iTunes "Classical" section of late, featuring my by Michael Jackson, Nirvana, Phil Collins, and even Coldplay. These two gentlemen play on Luis & Clark carbon fiber cellos (I've envied owning one).

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2Cellos

Jul 29, 2011

Composers
RosenmüllerLegrenziStradella
Label
Ambronay

The too-long silent Rare Fruits Council has released a new recording featuring Venetian baroque works entitled Venezia.

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Venezia Rare Fruits Council

Lachrymae Jul 22, 2011

The Korean violist Richard Yongjae-O'Neill has recorded a variety of works with some similar style, from composers such as Shostakovich, Bloch, Offenbach, Paganini, Raff, and Brugmuller (among others).

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Lachrymae

Beethoven: Piano Sonatas op.10 1-3 Jul 15, 2011
Composers
Ludwig van Beethoven

Pianist Paul Lewis has recorded the entire piano sonatas by Beethoven on Harmonia Mundi, the 8th CD in the complete 10-CD set features op.

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Beethoven: Piano Sonatas op.10 1-3

Cantatas, volume 44 Jul 15, 2011

Bach Collegium Japan records BWV 43, 88, 146 on BIS in volume 44 of Johann Sebastian Bach's cantatas. BWV 146 opens the recording, with a "sinfonia" that features organo concertato, which has also appeared as a concerto with different instruments…

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Cantatas, volume 44

Pandolfi opera quarta Jun 18, 2011
Composers
Giovanni Antonio Pandolfi Mealli

Ars Antiqua Austria records the sonatas for violin and continuo by Giovanni Antonio Pandolfi-Mealli on Arcana (p) 2011.

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Pandolfi opera quarta

Cantatas & Arias – Bostridge Jun 10, 2011

Ian Bostridge and Europa Galante Record Works by J. S. Bach This recording is an interesting recital of Bach; it seems the singer (a tenor) and the ensemble Europa Galante decided to collaborate on some favorite pieces, including the odd instrumental.

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Cantatas & Arias – Bostridge

John Picks a Favorite Brandenburg 6 Jun 8, 2011
Composers
Johann Sebastian Bach

This week I look at several recordings of Bach's likely most under-rated Brandenburg, BWV 1051 in B-flat.

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John Picks a Favorite Brandenburg 6

Dresden Sonatas Jun 3, 2011

Sonaten aus Dresden by Musica Antiqua, Köln, (p) 2001 Challenge Classics In the new millennium, it seemed that MAK couldn't find the support for all it wanted to do with DG Archiv.

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Dresden Sonatas

Jun 1, 2011

Composers
Antonio Vivaldi
Label
EMI
Released
1989
Length
40:00

(Nigel) Kennedy's career, it might be argued, was really launched mainstream with the release of this version of Vivaldi's Four Seasons…

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Vivaldi: The Four Seasons (original album)

May 29, 2011

Composers
Johann Friedrich Meister
Label
Berlin Classics
Released
2011
Length
1:07:00

Available now from a WDR Cologne production on Berlin Classics (formerly Challenge?) is some chamber music from Johann Friedrich Meister…

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Il Giardino del piacere: Letzte Aufnahme

May 22, 2011
Label
ECM
Released
1997

This album is (p) 1997 ECM. This review was last published in 2003. I remember seeing many copies of this CD for sale when it came out many…

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Jarrett: La Scala

May 22, 2011

Composers
LocatelliLeclair
Label
Astrée
Released
2001
Length
1:08:00

The Rare Fruits Council performs works by Locatelli and Jean-Marie Leclair, (p) 2001 Astrée Naive Was Leclair an angel and Locatelli a devil?

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L’ange et le diable Rare Fruits Council

May 15, 2011

Composers
Francesco Maria Veracini
Label
DG Archiv
Released
1994
Length
1:11:00

Francesco Maria Veracini was an Italian baroque composer most famous for his limp, gained after jumping out of a window.

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Francesco Maria Veracini Overtures Goebel

May 10, 2011

Composers
Georg Philipp TelemannJohann Friedrich Fasch
Released
2005
Length
1:02:00
Format
MP3

Former Musica Antiqua Köln violinist and concertmeister Florian Deuter has an ensemble he co-leads called Harmonie Universelle.

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Telemann-Fasch

May 10, 2011

Composers
Johann Sebastian Bach

The ensemble named for Antonio Vivaldi, Red Priest, has recorded 23 tracks of music by Johann Sebastian Bach, entitled "Johann, I'm Only…

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Red Priest plays Masterworks by J.S. Bach

May 8, 2011

Composers
Claudio Monteverdi
Released
2011
Length
1:15:00
Format
CD

The recording was made at the Arsenal at Metz in France. Despite not being performed in a church like St.

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Monteverdi: Vespro della beata vergine Pluhar

May 8, 2011
Composers
George Frideric Handel

Trevor Pinnock and the English Concert led by Simon Standage recorded Handel's suites known as the Water Music in 1983, with David…

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Water Music

Power and Energy: La Stravaganza edition Walsh May 6, 2011
Composers
Antonio Vivaldi

Biondi and Company release recording with 7 concertos; 6 are from Vivaldi's collection op.

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Power and Energy: La Stravaganza edition Walsh

May 4, 2011

Composers
Johann Sebastian Bach

Bach's music carries a universality with it; perhaps its because his music is so removed from our own time and sound world that his music…

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Bach’s Six Suites

Apr 24, 2011

Composers
Vivaldi
Label
BIS
Released
2000
Length
2:06:00

London Baroque's recent recordings have been on the BIS label, and among them for sale in MP3 format is Vivaldi's first opus, a set of trio…

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Vivaldi: Opera Prima London Baroque

Apr 15, 2011

Label
BIS
Released
2004

Awhile back, I admired the catalog London Baroque was building with BIS, and I picked up this recording featuring Italian works featuring a…

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Stravaganza Napoletane London Baroque

The Assads in Richmond Apr 14, 2011

Recently at the University of Richmond I heard the Assad Brothers Sergio and Odair play a program they called De Vola As Raizes or "Back to our Roots," featuring music from Brazil but also Arab-influenced music. Wow.

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The Assads in Richmond

Apr 6, 2011

Composers
Johann Sebastian Bach
Label
Channel Classics

I like the cello playing of Pieter Wispelwey. His Bach sonatas are still among my favorites, and this recording features friends Richard…

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Pieter Wispelwey on Bach

Mar 27, 2011

Composers
JS Bach
Label
Das Alte Werke

It wasn't too long ago that a box from Amazon arrived that contained the complete organ works of Bach, performed several years ago by Ton…

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The Complete Organ Works of J. S. Bach

Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin Concert Mar 19, 2011

I recently heard the Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin in Charlottesville, where they played works by Bach, Telemann, and Handel in an all-German program. Here are some notes on the concert experience.

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Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin Concert

Mar 14, 2011

Composers
Arcangelo Corelli
Label
Harmonia Mundi
Catalog no
HMU 907523
Released
2009

Seventy-one minutes of "arrangements" of Corelli, performed with recorder and orchestra. Conducted by Laurence Cummings.

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Mr. Corelli in London

Feb 26, 2011

Label
Alia Vox
Catalog no
AVSA 9877
Released
2010
Length
1:17:52

Imagine attending one of the performances of the Concert Spirituel in "late-baroque" France. What would that sound like? Look like?

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Au temps de Louis XV

Feb 16, 2011

Composers
Johann Sebastian Bach
Format
CD

This 2008 recording, done in the famous Deutschlandfunk Kammermusiksaal in Köln, features harpsichordist Christian Rieger performing in a…

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Bach: Art of Fugue Christian Rieger

Feb 12, 2011

Composers
Johann Sebastian Bach
Label
Harmonia Mundi
Released
2011

That other Academy of Ancient Music has recorded, for their 25-year anniversary, Bach's best work (my opinion): Die Kunst der Fuge on DVD.

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Bach: Art of Fugue Akademie für Alte Musik, Berlin

Feb 11, 2011

Composers
Domenico Scarlatti
Label
Virgin Veritas
Catalog no
5451032
Released
1994

Il Seminario Musicale has existed, evidently, since 1985 (!). The most consistent thing about them has been their singer, Gérard Lesne, a…

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Scarlatti: Motets Il Seminario Musicale

Feb 4, 2011

Composers
Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber
Label
Harmonia Mundi
Released
2004
Length
2:22:00

Andrew Manze and Richard Egarr perform Biber's Rosary Sonatas for violin and continuo, on Harmonia Mundi.

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Biber: Mystery Sonatas Andrew Manze

Jan 30, 2011

At the precipice of the new year, I wrote about some of my favorite new albums, and mentioned a flamenco guitar and jazz album entitled Hands, featuring Spanish guitars with Dave Holland on bass.

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Hands Holland and Habichuela

Vivaldi: op. 10 Flute Concerti Jan 29, 2011
Composers
Antonio Vivaldi

50 minutes of music, and if you were collecting Vivaldi in the early 1990s, this was a catch...

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Vivaldi: op. 10 Flute Concerti

Organ Works, volume 1 Jan 17, 2011
Label
Teldec
Catalog no
4509-94458-2
Released
1995
Length
1:14:08

While at home alone today, I'm able to listen (audition, really) some music with Pure Music software. At those insanely loud volumes.

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Organ Works, volume 1

Jan 14, 2011

Composers
Johann David Heinichen
Label
Archiv Produktion
Catalog no
437 549-2
Released
1993

The year was 1993, and the awards came soon after... this release was a big deal for DG Archiv and Goebel's Musica Antiqua Köln.

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Heinichen: Dresden Concerti Goebel

Johann Kuhnau: Biblical Sonatas Jan 14, 2011
Composers
Johann Kuhnau

John Butt records the Biblical Sonatas of Johann Kuhnau, on Harmonia Mundi.

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Johann Kuhnau: Biblical Sonatas

Les Concerts des Nations Jan 14, 2011

On April 9, 2005 Biberfan saw Jordi Savall and his Concerts des Nations ensemble perform at Camp Concert Hall at the University of Richmond.

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Les Concerts des Nations

Jan 13, 2011

Composers
JS Bach
Label
BIS
Catalog no
BIS-SACD-1841
Released
2009

Bach in June of 2007 (ha, ha), I reviewed a recording of Bach's motets by the Hilliard Ensemble.

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Bach Motets

Leclair – Recreation, Sonate, Trio Jan 12, 2011
Composers
Jean-Marie Leclair

Collegium Musicum 90 is known for their recordings of the French composer, Jean-Marie Leclair.

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Leclair – Recreation, Sonate, Trio

Dec 31, 2010

Each year, the Web, and the blogs that seem to proliferate the Web, fruits "Best" and "Worst of" lists around this time. As a consumer of recorded music, I myself wonder: "This year, what's the best thing I bought?" When I review some of the music I purchase…

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Favorite Albums Acquired – 2010

Busoni Chaconne Dec 30, 2010

Back in May of 2009, I reviewed the reading of Bach's Goldberg Variations by Dong-Hyek Lim. There's one piece on this recording I often find myself returning to, a real emotion-gusher, and I in reviewing my earlier notes, I failed to even acknowledge this…

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Busoni Chaconne

Vivaldi: Concerti per fagotto Dec 16, 2010
Composers
Antonio Vivaldi

L'Aura soave Cremona performs Vivaldi's bassoon concertos in this release on naïve. This group plays with penache and energy!

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Vivaldi: Concerti per fagotto

Geminiani: Sonatas for Violoncello Dec 16, 2010
Composers
Francesco Geminiani

Les Basses Réunies performs sonatas by Francesco Geminiani on Alpha. I've reviewed his concerti grossi here before, and here.

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Geminiani: Sonatas for Violoncello

Fans of Biber

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