Justin Taylor’s ‘Bach in Italy’ performance at Capriccio Baroque on March 18, 2023, led to multiple standing ovations from a highly appreciativ audience and garnered an exceptional review from Charles Downey of the Washington Classical Review. The virtuosic, demanding program included a selection of Italian concerto transcriptions made by Bach and works composed by Bach […]
English/Canadian harpsichordist Colin Tilney’s recording of J.S. Bach’s Partitas was issued in 2020 under the Music and Arts label and is now also available on the main streaming services. These are luxuriant, elegant Partitas which, with their slower tempi, highlight the compelling emotional warmth of these works. This three disk recording is accompanied by erudite, […]
Jean Rondeau’s October 26, 2022, performance of J.S. Bach’s ‘Goldberg Variations’ at Capriccio Baroque is rated a 2022 Top Ten Performance by the Washington Classical Review. Given this young French harpsichordist’s mastery this comes as no surprise. Here’s what the Washington Classical Review has to say about this performance: ‘The best thing about a performance […]
Colin Booth, renowned English harpsichordist and early keyboard builder, issues another stellar album, this time of J.C.F. Fischer’s Eight Suites in the ‘Little Book of Flowers’ (‘Blumen-büchlein’). Colin’s almost unmatched ability to infuse dance music with an irresistible sense of lift and movement makes this recording a delight. Fischer’s beautiful Suites bloom – the music […]
Yoann Moulin’s spectacular recording ‘Stylus Luxurians’ focuses on 17th century German harpsichord music by Weckmann, Froberger Ritter, Tunder, and Scheidemann. This was the period in which German music began to reflect elements of the French style after earlier adoption of elements of the Italian style. The result: simply gorgeous, luxurious music. This exquisite, crystal-clear recording […]
Lillian Gordis’ latest double-disk album ‘Bach’, released under the Paraty label, is a feast for the senses. Comprising her personal selection of Partitas, English Suites and Preludes and Fugues from the Well Tempered Clavier, this is a technical tour de force with the most compelling interpretations. Qobuz and Pierre-Yves Lascar: “Without doubt, this is well […]
This is a truly exceptional album – the music is glorious, the performance riveting, and the sound quality superb! Federica Bianchi performs music written for keyboards from the early 15th century to the early years of the Baroque on three instruments built after historical models – a clavicymbalum after an early 15th century instrument and […]
At the tip of Africa the Cape Town Baroque Orchestra drives a newly flourishing Early Music Scene under Artistic Director Erik Dippenaar. The Orchestra includes some of South Africa’s finest musicians and vocalists who mainly perform music of the 18th century. Here are two recent recordings by the Orchestra. In the first, the Orchestra plays […]
If you’ve actually heard of Johann Mattheson (1681-1764), it’s probably been from his writings on music in the era of Bach and Handel. That, at least, was my own experience until the Boston Early Music Festival in 2005 produced the world premiere of his extraordinary opera Boris Goudenow – written in 1710, a century and […]
