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Reviews

Mar 31, 2024

This album, which has already won a number of awards, came to my attention recently through a conversation; I’d not heard of this ensemble.

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L’atra Venezia

Mar 24, 2024

Composers
Johann Sebastian Bach

The music on this album has already been oft-recorded; many times in comprehensive sets such as the “Brandenburg Concertos and 4 Orchestral…

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Bach: Triple (Works for Flute, Violin, and Harpsichord)

Mar 16, 2024

Composers
Georg Philipp Telemann
Label
PentaTone
Catalog no
PTC 5187072
Released
2024

Telemann’s output is prolific; historically he’s known as among the most prolific composers in terms of his surviving output.

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Telemann – Late Works / Ino

Mar 9, 2024

This new album I’d almost missed; it’s a shame I don’t have access to a booklet to explain its provenance. The recurring composer is Vivaldi, who is joined by original works by Giovanni Sollima, the cellist I have enjoyed previously with some of his own music…

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Al-Bunduqiyya – The Lost Concerto

Mar 9, 2024

It’s been some time that I auditioned a new recording by the countertenor Andreas Scholl. His sound for me always evoked a masculine character while dispensing with vibrato that others at the time might have used as part of their sound.

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Invocazioni Mariane

Mar 2, 2024

Composers
Johann Sebastian Bach

This recording is of interest for several reasons; Henri Demarquette is an artist I’m unfamiliar with, and well, the notes describe the…

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Bach Cello Suites – Henri Demarquette

Mar 2, 2024

Composers
Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber
Label
Avie

This past year has seen a renewed interest in Biber’s ‘Mysteries of the Rosary’ sonatas, the 16 that employ scordatura depicting stories…

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Biber’s Mystery Sonatas Alan Choo – Apollo’s Fire

Feb 25, 2024

Composers
Johann Sebastian Bach
Label
BIS

My own appreciation of Bach—and what would open up before me as the entire Baroque period, if not the world of art music—came from me…

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Bach Harpsichord Concertos Volume 2

Feb 24, 2024

Composers
George Frideric Handel

There’s no shortage of collections of Handel’s works for violin and harpsichord, as the collection will fit on a single CD.

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Handel Violin Sonatas Cicic & Devine

Feb 19, 2024

Composers
Johann Sebastian Bach
Label
Ondine
Released
2022

I’ve been waiting for a long time for more Bach—like these sonatas for violin and keyboard—to be realized on a period piano.

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Bach Sonatas BWV 1014-1019 by Sirkka-Liisa Kaakinen-Pilch

Feb 19, 2024

I auditioned this via Qobuz and no booklet was provided. Note: I was provided a booklet for review after this review was published. I had originally relied upon what was presented in Qobuz to know what instruments Mr.

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Sigiswald Kuijken Solo

Feb 17, 2024

Composers
JSBach, CPEBach, WFBach
Label
Erato
Catalog no
0190295888466
Released
2017

Jean Rondeau records concertos by members of the Bach family in a new release on Erato.

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Bach Dynastie

Feb 17, 2024

Label
Alpha Classics
Catalog no
ALPHA 1059
Released
2024
Length
1:09:20

This album’s inspiration comes from the confluence in France of music where the gamba and violin coexist as equal partners together, with…

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The Golden Hour

Jan 13, 2024

Composers
George Frideric Handel
Label
Linn
Catalog no
CKD 736
Released
2024

The title of this album may have been better stated as “Trumpet(s) for Handel.” It’s a chock-full release of some of Handel’s best hits…

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Trumpet(s) for Handel

Dec 23, 2023

Composers
Johann Sebastian Bach
Label
Alpha
Released
2023
Length
1:12:00

The theme of this collection of well, more minor works by Bach for keyboard, is a style that we think Bach infused into his compositions…

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Bach and L’Italie

Dec 23, 2023

Composers
Vivaldi

The mandolin specialist Avi Avital writes in the booklet notes that he was inspired as a nineteen year-old by Il Giardino Armonico and the…

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Avi Avital Concertos

Dec 17, 2023

Composers
Johann Sebastian Bach
Label
Aparté
Format
HiRes Qobuz

Christophe Rousset is probably like any other musician who has made recordings of other major works by Johann Sebastian Bach.

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Bach: Die Kunst der Fuga, BWV 1080 Rousset

Dec 16, 2023

Composers
Johann Sebastian Bach

This video by Ton Koopman and the All of Bach Project) brings him to the Hildebrandt organ that is connected to Bach insofar as Zacharias…

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Bach and Friends for Violin and Organ – 1723

Dec 2, 2023

Composers
Johann Sebastian Bach

YouTube this past week brought me a glimpse to the artistry of Pius Cheung, a marimba player I’d encountered before.

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Bach’s Cello Suites on Marimba Pius Cheung

Oct 22, 2023

Composers
Johann Sebastian Bach

Recently released in tandem are two new recordings of Bach’s fourth installment of the Clavier-Übung series, which we of course know as the…

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Bach Goldberg Variations: Hamada / Víkingur

Oct 15, 2023

Composers
Johann Sebastian Bach

Maurice Steger and La Cetra Barockorchester Basel record works by J. S. Bach on Berlin Classics.

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Bach on Recorder

Sep 30, 2023

Composers
JSBach
Label
Sony
Catalog no
19658811642
Released
2023

Igor Levit has released a new album entitled Fantasia featuring works by Bach, Liszt, Busoni, and others.

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Fantasia

Sep 17, 2023

Composers
Marin Marais
Label
Alpha Classics
Catalog no
ALPHA 453
Released
2020

Luca Pianca (lute, theorbo) joins Il Suonar Parlante Orchestra and its director Vittorio Ghielmi in a concert of works by Marin Marais…

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Le secret de Monsieur Marais Ghielmi and Pianca

Sep 9, 2023

Label
Pan Classics
Catalog no
PC 10432
Released
2022
Length
1:14:49

This album features just three musicians, with Daniel Deuter appearing as the violin soloist, Heike Johanna Linder on gamba and lirone, and…

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Rapsodia Italiana

Sep 8, 2023

Composers
George Frideric Handel

Vlaams Radiokoor and Il Gardellino record Handel’s Dixit Dominus HWV 232 dir.

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Handel and Ferrandini

Sep 3, 2023

Composers
Johann Sebastian Bach
Label
Ricercar
Catalog no
RIC 453
Released
2023

Period ensemble Les Récréations have recorded Bach’s Die Kunst der Fuge BWV 1080 for Ricercar, led by Matthieu Camilleri on violin, piccolo…

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Bach: Kunst der Fuge Les Récréations

Jul 16, 2023

Composers
CPEBach
Label
ECM New Series

Keith Jarrett records the six “Württemburg” sonatas by Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach on ECM New Series. This recording came as a surprise.

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Württemberg Sonatas Keith Jarrett

Jun 19, 2023

Composers
Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber

Meret Lüthl and Les Passions de l’Ame have recorded Biber’s Rosenkranz-Sonaten on Prospero.

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Biber Mystery Sonatas Meret Lüthi

Jun 19, 2023

Composers
Johann Sebastian Bach

The Spanish string quartet Cuarteto Casals has recorded for Harmonia Mundi Bach’s Art of Fuguing BWV 1080 like other quartets before them…

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Cuarteto Casals Performs Bach

May 21, 2023

Composers
Johann Sebastian Bach
Label
Harmonia Mundi

In the eighth volume by Alard of Bach’s works for keyboards, he explores in this edition music from Bach’s years in Köthen (1717-1723) and…

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Bach: Complete Works for Keyboard, volume 8

May 7, 2023

Composers
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Label
Alia Vox

Requiem, K. 626; Savall, J. Les Concert des Nations with La Capella Nacional de Catalunya, Alia Vox (May 2023) A portion of the score of…

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Mozart: Requiem

Apr 22, 2023
Composers
Johann Sebastian Bach

Two new recordings of Bach’s first book of preludes and fugues in each key have come out as of late and the two couldn’t be more different.

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Bach: Well-tempered clavier, Book 1

Apr 9, 2023

Composers
Steve ReichJohann Sebastian Bach

Marion Ralincourt took an interesting page from her own experiences from flute study to put the music of Johann Sebastian Bach (on a wooden…

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Les Siècles – Music by Reich and J.S. Bach for Flute

Apr 8, 2023

Violinist Oliver Fourés has written the excellent liner notes for this album, of music programmed to bring us back to the heyday of one of Venice’s many opera houses.

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Music from the Venetian Opera House Sant’Angelo

Apr 1, 2023

Composers
Johann Sebastian Bach
Label
Audax

Among so many recordings already of Bach's late chamber music, this recording offers some subtle details coupled with technical gifts when…

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Bach: The Musical Offering BWV 1079

Feb 26, 2023

Composers
Johann Sebastian Bach

The Richter Ensemble has released a pairing of Bach’s Die Kunst der Fuga BWV 1080 with the published string quartet music of Anton von…

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Bach and Webern

Feb 19, 2023

Composers
Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber
Label
Harmonia Mundi

I can still remember the evening in my dorm room in 1994 when I’d just come back from a music store with a chance buy of something called…

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Dance over Meditation: Biber’s Mystery Sonatas

Feb 5, 2023

Composers
Johann Sebastian Bach

The second and third installments of SLIXS’ album Quer Bach presents some of the cantor’s best hits realized in an affective acappella style.

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Quer Bach, volumes 2 & 3

Feb 5, 2023

Composers
Biber

Back in May of 2021 an album came out that I’d missed; it features baroque violinist Emmanuelle Dauvin performing works by Bach and Biber.

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Music for Violin and Bass OVNI Baroque

Feb 4, 2023

Composers
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Aparte has commissioned Il Pomo d’Oro under the direction of Maxim Emelyanychev to record the symphonies of Mozart; in this edition the…

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New Mozart Cycle Il Pomo d’Oro

Jan 28, 2023

Composers
Johann Sebastian Bach
Label
ECM Records
Catalog no
ECM 2635/36
Released
2023

Our concept of baroque keyboards is so fixated on harpsichords and organs.

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Schiff performs Bach on Clavichord

Jan 14, 2023

Germany had the Bach family, with a rich musical tradition; perhaps the best French analog would be the famille Couperin. Three men from this family dynasty are represented in this album from a live concert given by Benjamin Alard: Louis Couperin…

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The Couperin Family

Jan 14, 2023

Composers
Johann Sebastian Bach

Yaara Tal released this album in August 2021, a collection of fugues played on the piano.

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Tracing Bach

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