Alfred Deller was ‘discovered’ by Michael Tippett, and with the supprt of Tippett, Walter Bergmann and others, re-introduced the countertenor voice to the current music repertoire. His influence cannot be overstated. This CD is a tribute to Deller by musicians who have carried on his tradition in major contributions to music both in Britain and around the globe. Music from the late 17th century to the end of the 20th, of incredible beauty and charm.
Period: Baroque
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John Garth – Accompanied Keyboard Sonatas, Op. 2 & Op. 4
Along with his friend and teacher Charles Avison, Garth was one of the leading lights of the music scene in northern England in the late baroque era (late 18th century). His music was completely neglected until re-introduced by The Avison Ensemble in concerts and with their groundbreaking recording of his Cello Concertos in 2007 (DDA 25059). In his lifetime Garth was best known for his Op. 2 Sonatas, written in the northern English style with accompaniment by two violins and cello; this and the Op. 4 set represent almost the last flowering of the true baroque era. Each sonata is in two-movement form and while thoroughly ‘conventional’ in style, include some masterful composition and endlessly fascinating listening.
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Handel: Suites for Harpsichord, Vol. 2
Acknowledged without reservation as the greatest composer working in England in the 18th century, Georg Frideric Handel is revered worldwide as a master composer. His Harpsichord Suites are among the finest instrumental works of the period, we are privileged to present exquisite performances by Gilbert Rowland, one of Europe’s foremost harpsichordists.
Volumes One and Three are also available.
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Guido: The Four Seasons
Vivaldi’s Four Seasons is perhaps the “classical” work best known to the general public; until very recently this work by Giovanni Antonio Guido was almost forgotten. It is a splendid work and some scholars now think it was the first to be written and may well have been known by Vivaldi and inspired him to write his own version. In any case, this is a superb baroque work and beautifully performed by The Band of Instruments under their director Roger Hamilton.
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Madrigali: Fire and Roses
An intensely beautiful programme, delectably performed. Paul Mealor’s choir gives a stunning performance of original 16th century madrigals and some modern counterparts, including the fabulous Madrigali of Morten Lauridsen. Of Mealor, we have the awesomely beautiful ‘Now Sleeps the Crimson Petal’ cycle, of which the first movement was personally chosen by Prince William and Kate Middleton (now the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge) as the musical centerpiece of the April royal wedding service (re-set to the words of ‘Ubi Caritas’).
This is the original version, conducted by the composer, and thus 100% authentic.
Paul Mealor’s work is also available as a download-only single, Now Sleeps the Crimson Petal (DDS 29002). It was also featured in the soundtrack of the award-winning documentary “Shining Night: A Portrait of Composer Morten Lauridsen” (DVD 003).
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J S Bach – 4 Klavierkonzerte
Bach’s Concertos for keyboard and chamber orchestra are rightly acknowledged as masterpieces of the genre, and among the first truly great concertos of the Baroque/Early Classical period. They are performed with a wide variety of instrumentation, and here Peter Seivewright plays a modern Steinway Model D grand piano, accompanied by a baroque size ensemble, also using modern instruments, but in the authentic one-to-a-part style. The continuo here is provided, again authentically, by the Spanish guitar, which gives a warmer sound than the more common harpsichord.
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Handel: Suites for Harpsichord, Vol. 1
Acknowledged without reservation as the greatest composer working in England in the 18th century, Georg Frideric Handel is revered worldwide as a master composer. His Harpsichord Suites are among the finest instrumental works of the period, and eight of those are presented here by Gilbert Rowland, one of Europe’s foremost harpsichordists.
These two well-filled discs are a real bargain for such accomplished performances.
More details for Volume Two and Volume Three.
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Bach: The Art of Fugue
Bach’s Art of Fugue is a great musical enigma; left strangely unfinished, it is thought perhaps to have been intended not for performance but as a definitive guide to the writing of fugues, or a personal musical message meant as the composer’s greatest legacy … in any event it is a supreme masterpiece and here is given a brilliant and individual interpretation, in which Diana Boyle (whose Metier CD of the 48 Preludes and Fugues, Book II is also highly praised) brings out classical-style emphasis and phrasing, bring the music alive more than in traditional dry and academic accounts. The recording omits the optional ‘canons’ but includes the ‘Inversus’ sections of Contrapuncti 12 and 13. Check out the artist index for more celebrated recordings by Diana Boyle of Bach, Beethoven and Brahms and Chopin.
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Venice in Mexico
Mexico after the Spanish arrived saw a great deal of European art and culture being imported, including music from the great centres such as Venice. Not having harpsichords to hand, it became usual to use local instruments, vihuela and guitarron, for continuo. This policy is used here, and the sharp clear sound of the strings with the rhythmic base gives these works a new impetus and vitality. The Vivaldi pieces are fairly well known but the fine concertos by Facco were only discovered relatively recently.
Soloists: Miguel Lawrence (sopranino recorder); Manuel Zogbi (violin); Daniel Armas (psaltery)
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Johann Sebastian Bach Organ Works
This splendid recital of works by Johann Sebastian Bach has been produced in collaboration with Canongate Kirk, Edinburgh, to display the fine and distinctive sounds of the instrument. The booklet contains a history of the organ and its full specification. David Hamilton’s second CD, as with his recent Buxtehude album, shows a performer with skill and musicianship and also a deep empathy with the works of the baroque masters.
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Avison: Harpsichord Sonatas, op. 5 & 7
This set is the final release in the Avison Ensemble’s complete recording of Avison’s orchestral and chamber music, marvellous baroque works of inspiration which have been greeted with delight by customers and critics alike. Here we have the twelve harpsichord sonatas of opus 5 and opus 7 – a worthy culmination of a fine series. The full series is available as a low-price set.
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Bach: The Six Partitas
Though published as Bach’s Opus 1, the Partitas were composed as Bach was approaching 40 and working in Leipzig. Their varied and changeable movement styles differentiate them considerably from the structure of works such as the French and English Suites, which are otherwise like sets of dance movements.
Judith Lambden is a well established Australian pianist with a long-established reputation as an interpreter of Bach. In this, her first CD for Divine Art, she gives us all a chance to re-evaluate splendid works which (in terms of Bach’s output) are relatively little known. At almost 80 minutes on each CD, a true high-value set at mid-price.