Divine Art Records

Period: Baroque

  • Sacred Hearts & Secret Music

    Sacred Hearts & Secret Music

    This CD stands on its own merits as an exceptional programme of early sacred music, transcribed for and performed by the etherially beautiful voices of Musica Secreta and Celestial Sirens. However, like their earlier CD (DDA 25062) it has an added rationale, as the ‘virtual sound-track’ to the superb new novel ‘Sacred Hearts’, by Sarah Dunant. The music on the CD refers directly to many of the scenes and events in the book, allowing the reader/listener to more fully absorb themselves into the ancient world and characters so wonderfully portrayed.

    ‘Sacred Hearts’ is published in the UK by Virago, and in the USA by Random House. The book and CD have been heavily featured in the media in the UK including BBC Radio ‘Woman’s Hour’, the South bank Festival and so on.

  • Avison: Trio Sonatas, op. 1 and Keyboard Sonatas, op. 8

    Avison: Trio Sonatas, op. 1 and Keyboard Sonatas, op. 8

    The fourth in our series of Avison’s music, and part of the Complete Edition completed at the end of 2009. These hitherto unknown works are real baroque gems. The op. 1 Trio Sonatas led by the strings, are accompanied by Robert Howarth on chest organ continuo; while Robert moves front of stage and to the harpsichord in the Keyboard Sonatas, op. 8.

    These recordings issued at bargain price help further to confirm that 18th century England was a place of fine creative artistry in music. Purchase the low-price five-volume set.

  • Avison: 12 Concerti Grossi after Scarlatti

    Avison: 12 Concerti Grossi after Scarlatti

    Thought by many to be Avison’s greatest masterpieces, these arrangements of Scarlatti’s keyboard sonatas were for many decades the only Avison music known. Now thanks to Gordon Dixon and the Avison Ensemble, a complete edition of his quite large output is well underway; this is the fifth in the series, following two sets on Naxos and two on Divine Art. This is sublime baroque music at its best, performed on period instruments. Purchase the full five volume set.

  • Avison: 18 Concerti Grossi, op. 9 & 10

    Avison: 18 Concerti Grossi, op. 9 & 10

    Following the enormous success of the Avison Ensemble’s John Garth CD (DDA 25059) and the Avison/Geminiani Concerti (DDA 21210) we are delighted to present another premiere recording of the finest baroque music. Even before official release, chosen by Classic FM as its disc of the week, this 2 CD set (at the price of 1 CD) is the first complete recording of these concerti. The Avison Ensemble is led by Pavlo Beznosiuk. This set was another step towards the complete Avison Edition, now complete.

    Avison’s concerti can be played in various instrumentations: here we have the “chamber orchestra” version. Six of the op. 9 concerti are performed in the string quartet version on Diversions 24108. All five volumes are also available as a low-price set.

  • Alessandro Grandi: Motets in 5 Voices / Music from “Fallen”

    Alessandro Grandi: Motets in 5 Voices / Music from “Fallen”

    Alessandro Grandi is widely regarded as one of the finest composers from Italy in the early 17th century but his music itself is little known. This premiere recording of his 16 Motets for Five Voices rectifies that and demonstrates his extraordinary musical powers. Also on the CD are musical items from the soundtrack of the film/live/multimedia work “Fallen”, a collaboration between Musica Secreta and playwright Fiona Mackie.

    Also available by Musica Secreta: ‘Sacred Hearts Secret Music’ (DDA 25077).

  • John Garth: Six Cello Concertos

    John Garth: Six Cello Concertos

    There are many fine compositions still lying undiscovered, and until recently this was true of the six Cello Concertos by John Garth. This native of Durham in Northern England proves to be a brilliant composer, and these concertos (which are believed to be the earliest examples of the Cello Concerto written in Britain) are surely the equal of those produced by Handel. Played on period instruments by one of Britain’s leading baroque-music ensembles.

    The scores, in cello/piano reduction, are also available.

  • Avison: Concerti Grossi after Geminiani

    Avison: Concerti Grossi after Geminiani

    Charles Avison was long neglected, but is now being recognised as one of the most brilliant and accomplished English composers of the 18th century. These 12 Concerti are based on Geminiani’s opus 1 violin sonatas,are played on period instruments and are recorded here for the first time, by the group which has itself made a reputation as one of the finest instrumental ensembles in Europe. The first of our series of major Avison releases. (All Five Volumes available in a single set at large discount!).

  • Buxtehude: Organ Music

    Buxtehude: Organ Music

    Thirteen of the great baroque master’s organ works, in fine new performances by David Hamilton, played on the Aubertin organ at the University of Aberdeen.

  • Jill Crossland Live at Restoration House

    Jill Crossland Live at Restoration House

    This CD is a recording of a live concert given at Restoration House, Rochester, on the 1824 Jirikowsky fortepiano. A fine recital by a recognised baroque specialist.

  • Bach: The Art of Fugue

    Bach: The Art of Fugue

    THE ROTH QUARTET
    play the string quartet arrangement of Bach’s finest masterpiece composed by Roy Harris and M D H Norton.
    This historically important document also includes the conjectural completion composed and played by Sir Donald Tovey.
    Recorded 1934/1935 and digitally re-mastered by Pristine Audio.

  • Galuppi Piano Sonatas, Vol. 3

    Galuppi Piano Sonatas, Vol. 3

    In the third of a series of CD’s containing Galuppi’s sonatas, we present another eight of these masterpieces. All music lovers should sample these seminal works, which made Galuppi one of the greatest composers of his day;all the more strange that he should have fallen into such obscurity. All the sonatas on this disc are unpublished and have been reconstructed for performance by Peter Seivewright from the original manuscripts.

    Peter Seivewright has spent a good deal of time on a research mission to Venice and other European cities, retrieving the unpublished manuscript scores and preparing performing editions. One of the great revelations brought about by this work is that Galuppi, far from being a straightforward baroque composer writing for the traditional keyboard instruments (harpsichord and clavichord), which have been employed in all previous recordings, actually waited until the piano had been developed before creating most of his phenomenal output. Many of the original manuscripts are titled “Sonata for Pianoforte”, and much of the writing, making substantial use of the sustain pedal, simply do not work on the earlier instruments.

    Also see:
    Volume 1
    Volume 2
    Volume 4

  • Woodworks

    Woodworks

    For those who think the recorder is just a boring instrument for young schoolchildren, here is the proof of the opposite!

    This CD contains classic works by Handel, Vivaldi and Couperin but also new and exciting works by contemporary composers. Accompanied by a fine chamber ensemble, Australian performer Tamara Gries shows, in the words of Prof. David Tunley (University of Western Australia) that “the recorder is truly a fine and expressive instrument that finds a deserved niche in music of our own century as well as in that from earlier times”.