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ACCENT |
ACC24205
| CD | 4015023242050
Why Not Here
Music by Ford, Jenkins, Danyel, Ferrabosco, Holborne, Alison, Lawes Music for two Lyra Viols
Lee Santana, Michael Freimuth, Hille Perl (Renaissance lute), Friederike Heumann (viola da gamba)
Around 1600 the composers of English music for viols followed a specific style direction known as 'lyra viol music'. The lyra viol is not primarily a different instrument, rather the term refers to a style of playing 'lyraway' as the title pages of many of the sources indicate. The main characteristics of this kind of playing are the use of the chords, implied polyphony, plucked strings as well as bowed sounds , and the use of different tuning systems. Friedricke Heumann and Hille Perl discover lots of incredible music for two viols that was composed in Paris, London, Berlin and elsewhere.
Ford Cate of Bardie HEAR AUDIO PREVIEW 
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CARUS |
CAR83414
| CD | 4009350834149
Bruckner Mass in E Minor, Libera Me
Rheinberger Requiem in E Flat Op 84
KammerChor Saarbrucken, Blaser der Kammerphilharmonie Mannheim, Georg Grun (director)
In his well-known Mass in E minor Anton Bruckner combined the vocal style of Palestrina's era with the musical resources of his own time. Along with its austere sound picture and its powerful dynamic contrasts, this Mass differs from Bruckner's other orchestral masses because of its accompaniment using wind instruments alone. In addition to Bruckner's funeral motet Libera Me, Josef Gabriel Rheinberger's Requiem in E flat Op 84 is here recorded for the first time. Within a masterful a cappella structure Rheinberger created a work with extremely effective musical highlights. The KammerChor Saarbrucken again demonstrates its supreme quality, convincing especially in the absolutely homogeneously sung a cappella passages and by its fine dynamic shading.
Rheinberger Sanctus from Requiem HEAR AUDIO PREVIEW
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COVIELLO |
COV20808
| SACD | 4039956208082
Handel Arias For Tenor
Arias from Jephtha, Acis and Galatea, Alexander's Feast, Samson, Messiah, Rodelinda, Alcina, Ezio, L'Allegro il Penseroso ed il Moderato
Christoph Genz (tenor), Handel Festival Orchestra Halle, David Timm (conductor)
The tenor voice has often been neglected on recordings of Handel arias in the past… Tenor parts are almost always supporting roles in Handel's operas...The situation is different with the oratorios, where Handel treats the tenor voice equally, sometimes even as the title role,' says Christoph Genz. The German tenor began as a member of the renowned Leipzig Thomanerchor, followed by study at King's College Cambridge where he also sang in the Choir. His prizes include First Places in Leipzig's Bach Competition and Grimsby (England) International Singers Competition. Hailed as one of the most exciting tenors today, Genz has performed worldwide with conductors such as Philippe Herreweghe, Frans Bruggen, Ton Koopman, Sigiswald Kuijken and Sir Simon Rattle.
Handel Love in her eyes sits playing HEAR AUDIO PREVIEW
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COVIELLO |
COV50805
| CD | 4039956508052
Fantasia-Tropica - Frid String Quartets Nos 1-4
Amaryllis Quartet
Geza Frid (1904-1989), a Dutch composer of Hungarian origin, was one of the most influential on the Dutch musical scene after World War II. He studied piano with Bartok and composition with Kodaly, and his music is influenced by the folk traditions of his homeland. The German-Swiss Amaryllis Quartet presents four of his string quartets in world premiere recordings. The Quartet was trained in Basel by Walter Levin of the LaSalle Quartet and received coaching from the Alban Berg Quartet. The rediscovery of forgotten masterworks is one priority for the young quartet, which is also an advocate of contemporary music. The Amaryllis Quartet plays regularly for concert series and festivals across Europe.
Frid La Sera from Fantasia tropica HEAR AUDIO PREVIEW
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GLOSSA |
GCDC80102
| CD | 8424562801028
Weiss Ars Melancholiae
Sonata in D, Sonata D minor, Ciaconne, Prelude, Menuet, Fantasie, Ciacona
Jose Miguel Moreno (baroque lute)
'The Art of Melancholy' may seem an unpromising title, but don't be deceived! This is a beguiling CD with some of the most beautiful Baroque lute music you'll ever hear. A contemporary of JS Bach, Sylvius Leopold Weiss (1686-1750) actually visited the Thomaskantor in 1739 and played music in his home. Contemporaries regarded Weiss as an outstanding musician and his reputation remains undiminished today. Like Bach, he synthesised French, Italian and German musical styles, yet his approach is uniquely his own - not least for its melodiousness, expressive harmonies and gentle beauty. Jose Miguel Moreno is a sensitive and accomplished interpreter of this bewitching and intimate music.
Weiss Giga from Suanata in D Major HEAR AUDIO PREVIEW
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GLOSSA |
GCDC80205
| CD | 8424562802056
Claros y Frescos Rios
Songs and instrumental pieces from the Spanish Renaissance. Music by Esteban Daca, Vazquez, Flecha, Morales, Mudarra, Diego Pisador, Miguel de Fuenllana, Enriguez de Valerrabano, Anonimo
Nuria Rial (soprano), Jose Miguel Moreno (vihuelas and Renaissance guitar)
With the dawn of the Renaissance in Spain there was a flowering of love poetry, and consequently of love songs, both in the popular vein and in artistic circles, which in turn influenced each other. This lovely survey of Spanish songs and instrumental pieces brings together voice, vihuela (a highly regarded guitar-like instrument) and Renaissance guitar to bring to life long-lost repertoire including villancios, romanzas, endechas, and other entertaining musical forms. Catalonian soprano Nuria Rial has sung with many of the leading period ensembles and orchestras, including Il Giardino Armonico, Concerto Koln, OrpheoBarockorchester and Al Ayre Espanol. Jose Miguel Moreno partners her with impeccable musicianship.
Daca Gritos dava la morenicaHEAR AUDIO PREVIEW
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GLOSSA |
GCDC80206
| CD | 8424562802063
Sanz Instruccion de Musica sobre la Guitarra Espanola
Canarios, Marionas, Zarabanda, Clarin de los Mosqueteros del Rey de Francia, La Cavalleria de Napoles con dos clarines, La Esfachata de Napoles, Clarines y trompetas, La Minina de Portugal, Cancion, La Coquina francesa, Torneo, Batalla, Rujero, Paradetas, Las Hachas, Maricapalos and others
Orphenical Lyra - Jose Miguel Moreno (baroque guitar), Eligio Quinteiro (triple and theorbo), Juan Carlos de Mulder (theorbo), Pedro Estevan (percussion)
We know little about the life of Gaspar Sanz (c1640-c1710), but his 1674 publication 'Instruction of Music for Spanish Guitar' was a highly influential manual, running to several reprints over subsequent decades. In Sanz's time, a rich repertoire of song already existed in Spain (see 'Claros y frescos rios' above) but purely instrumental pieces were much rarer. Composers like Sanz helped to change that, establishing a instrumental repertoire of equal diversity to its vocal counterpart and helping to spread Spanish dance forms across the Iberian peninsula and across Europe. Guitar, theorbos (long-necked lutes) and percussion interpret this lively music to perfection.
Sanz Ballata HEAR AUDIO PREVIEW
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GLOSSA |
GCDC80402
| CD | 8424562804029
Hume The Spirit of Gambo
Cease leaden slumber, The Spirite of Musicke, The Pashion of Musicke, All Almaine, A Pollish Vilanell, The Spirit of Gambo, Sweet ayre, A Mery Conceit, Captaine Humes Pavan, A Jigge, A Souldiers Resolution, The Earle of Pembrookes Galiard, Deth, Life, Captaine Humes Galliard and others
Emma Kirkby (soprano), Labyrinto - Paolo Pandolfo (bass and tenor viols), Guido Balestracci (bass and tenor viols), Juan Manuel Quintana (tenor viol and consort bass), Alba Fresno (consort bass), Eduardo Eguez (theorbo, lute, bandora and guitar)
Tobias Hume (c1569-1645) was a strange character indeed: the Scottish soldier, prankster and musician was boastful, paranoid and elusive, possibly manic-depressive. His championing of the viol over the lute provoked John Dowland to dispute with him about the virtues of the latter instrument! Hume was, however, a musical pioneer, the first in England to publish a collection of viol pieces, which heralded the new aesthetic of the Baroque. Something of Hume's passionately emotional, even unstable, personality find expression in his music which requires virtuoso performance. Fortunately, this disc delivers in spades, with Emma Kirkby and the Labyrinto ensemble more than equal to the task.
Hume Cease leaden slumber HEAR AUDIO PREVIEW
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GLOSSA |
GCDC80906
| CD | 8424562809062
Marenzio Ninth Book of Madrigals
La Venexiana, Claudio Cavina (director)
Luca Marenzio (c1553-99) could be dubbed the 'Mozart of the madrigal'. Like Mozart, he composed highly refined, emotionally rich music that appealed strongly to connoisseurs - his princely patrons and their highly sophisticated courts - and he pushed the boundaries of what was expected (or even acceptable) in terms of musical entertainment. Marenzio's Ninth Book of Madrigals was the last published during his lifetime and it draws upon all his skills and experience as a composer. It is a worthy testament to an accomplished explorer of the highs and lows of love, and is exquisitely performed by the acclaimed vocal ensemble La Venexiana.
Marenzio Solo e pensoso HEAR AUDIO PREVIEW
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GLOSSA |
GCDC81104
| CD | 8424562811041
Mozart Arias for Aloysia Weber
No no che non sei capace, Alcandro lo confesso – non so d’onde viene, Vorrei spiegarvi oh dio!, Ah se in ciel benign stele, Mia speranze adorata – Ah non sai qual pena sia, Popoli di Tessaglia! _ Io non chedo eterni Dei, Nehmet meinen Dank ihr holden Gönner
Cyndia Sieden (soprano), Orchestra of the Eighteenth Century, Frans Bruggen (director)
Among the many great singers who played important parts in Mozart's life Aloysia Weber figured prominently. His love for the young singer (she was only 17 when they met) seems to have been based at least as much on her musical abilities as on her personality, and following her marriage to another, Mozart eventually married her younger sister Constanze. Between 1778 and 1788 he composed seven concert arias for Aloysia, which showcased her extraordinary vocal abilities. This wonderful disc presents them in all their virtuosic and expressive splendour. Hearing Cyndia Sieden sing them today, it's quite easy to understand why Mozart was so struck by Aloysia!
Mozart Popoli di Tessaglia HEAR AUDIO PREVIEW
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GLOSSA |
GCDC81302
| CD | 8424562813021
Les Harpes du Ciel (Heavenly Harps)
Harp Music in the Salons of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. Music by Mayer, Cosway, JC Bach, Krumpholtz, CPE Bach, Petrini, Mozart
Maria Galassi (harp), Gabriella Bosio (harp)
Playing splendid 'harps a crochet' (single-action pedal harps with crochet [hook] mechanisms), Maria Galassi and Gabriella Bosio take us on a musical tour back to the French royal court during the decades before the French Revolution swept away the ancien regime. A number of outstanding composers and performers were active at the time, whether in Paris or elsewhere in Europe, and a considerable repertoire of harp music survives from the late 18th Century. Someone once remarked that of all the earthly pleasures music alone is considered appropriate for entertainment in heaven. This disc provides a tantalising taste of what that celestial noise might sound like.
Mozart Allegro HEAR AUDIO PREVIEW
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GLOSSA |
GCDC81403
| CD | 8424562814035
Canticum Canticorum (Song of Songs)
Cristobal de Morales Missa Vulnerasti Cor Meum and Music by Sebastian de Vivanco, Antoine de Fevin, Nicolas Gombert, Tomas Luis de Victoria, Francisco Guerrero, Rodrigo de Ceballos
Orchestra of the Renaissance, Richard Chetham (director), Michael Noone (guest conductor)
Australian-born Michael Noone conducts a fascinating program of choral/instrumental works themed around the biblical Song of Songs. Originally a collection of erotic poetry, once incorporated into the scriptures it was reinterpreted as an allegory of the love between Christ and the Church and gave rise to a remarkable corpus of extremely beautiful music. Here are nine motets (both sung and played on instruments alone) as well as Morales' great Mass based on De Fevin's motet Vulnerasti Cor Meum, which is also included. This is a truly divine disc.
De Vivanco Veni dilete mi HEAR AUDIO PREVIEW
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RONDEAU |
ROP6018
| CD | 4037408060189
Puccini Messa di Gloria
Verdi Stabat Mater, Te Deum
Bernhard Schneider (tenor), Christian Schmidt-Timmermann (bass), Chor der Hochschule fur Evangelische Kirchenmusic Bayreuth, Konzertchor der Hochschule fur Katholische Kirchenmusic Regensburg, Prager Philharmoniker KSO, Karl Rathgeber (director)
Giacomo Puccini’s Mass was composed between 1878 and 1880; Giuseppe Verdi composed his choral works – which were later to be subsumed under the title Quattro Pezzi Sacri (Four Sacred Pieces) – between 1889 and 1897. Puccini’s Messa di Gloria is an early work by the 20 year old graduate full of impetuous ideas and offering a good impression of Puccini’s talent as a composer of sacred music, while Verdi’s Stabat Mater and Te Deum are his last compositions, works of a sophisticated master, rooted in the traditions of Gregorian Chant and the vocal polyphony of Palestrina. On this CD the two Pezzi Sacri which are accompanied by orchestra have been recorded.
Puccini Agnus Dei from Messa di Gloria HEAR AUDIO PREVIEW
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RONDEAU |
ROP6023
| CD | 4037408060233
Wo Gott der Herr Nicht Bei Uns Haelt
Organ and Vocal Works from St Thomas in Leipzig by JS Bach, Ammerbach, Schein & Rust
Susanne Krumbiegel (alto), Martin Petzold (tenor), Matthias Weichert (bass), Ullrich Bohme (organ), Thomanerchor Leipzig, Gewandhausorchester, Georg Christoph Biller (director)
A newly discovered work by JS Bach is at the centre of the music on this CD, a chorale fantasia based on his cantata Wo Gott der Herr nicht bei uns haelt (Where God the Lord stands with us not) BWV178. UIlrich Boehme, Organist at St Thomas in Leipzig, presents this piece with further Bach compositions and works by other cantors and organists who preceded and followed Bach at St Thomas. The cantata itself is also performed by three leading soloists and the present-day choir of St Thomas, direct heirs of the choir for whom Bach wrote the work.
Bach Wo Gott der Herr HEAR AUDIO PREVIEW
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