Classical Music

Six new Bach recorder sonatas would be a truly sensational discovery, and probably remain wishful thinking. All the more regrettable, for the parts Bach dedicated to the recorder in over 25 cantatas and the Brandenburg Concertos are amongst the most beautiful and demanding music ever written for this ostensibly limited instrument. On Bach Remixed, flutist Michael Form and harpsichordist Dirk B�rner plunged into the adventure of "what if by arranging six "new" flute sonatas from the most diverse Bach works, completely in the manner of self-quotation or recycling that Bach himself cultivated.

Niccolò Jommelli’s (1714-74) surviving chamber cantatas for solo voice constitute only a fraction of his output. Virtually all these cantatas are intended for a solo soprano accompanied by an ensemble consisting of violins (primarily playing in unison), viola and basso continuo. Cuban-born soprano Yetzabel Arias Fernández has won prizes in singing competitions in Chimay, Naples and Rome and performed at important Festivals (and venues) in Europe with the most distinguished baroque ensembles and orchestras under Ton Koopman, Jordi Savall and Helmut Rilling, amongst others.

The first decade of the 17th c. saw many collections of sacred pieces in the new "second practice" style printed in Northern Italy, probably to fulfill the wishes of churches that wanted to showcase their awareness of the new fashion. Among the two most important of these published collections (the other being Monteverdi's Vespers) of the important year 1610 is that of Giovanni Paolo Cima (ca.1570-1630), represented here by his Vespro della Beata Virgine. For 20 years, Musica Fiorita, conducted by Daniela Dolci, has been specializing in the performance of late Renaissance and Baroque music.

Classical Music

Classical Music

Classical Music

Classical Music

Classical Music

Since the Renaissance, Italy had become the prime nation of cultural renewal and a favoured study location for artists and musicians. German musical collections provide many examples of a yearning for musical 'dreamscapes' of Italy created in the Central German provinces. The ensemble Musica Fiorita under it's leader Daniela Dolci discovered concertos and sacred music in the archives of locations such as Meiningen, Sondershausen, Rudolstadt and Weimar. The composers Fasch, Hasse, Molter, St�lzel and Jommelli are all representatives of the popular Italian style and have been "big names" all together in their time. The program presents seldom or never heard music in the splendid style of the High Baroque period.

The Swiss Baroque composer Johann Melchior Gletle's motets are among the most notable music to survive from that era. Although Gletle's musical background and much of his biography is obscured in the mists of passing centuries, it is known that Gletle produced an extensive collection of works. The ensemble Musica Fiorita has recorded selections of the motets of Gletle previously but with "Motets, Opus 4", they've amassed the entirety of Gletle's motet oeuvre in a 4 CD box set. With multiple hues coloring the instrumental spectrum and the virtuosity of the vocal and instrumental parts, Gletle's legacy is rediscovered in this spotlight collection from one of the finer Baroque ensembles today.

Originating as a five-voice setting by Palestrina in the 1500s, “Vestiva i colli” is one of the best examples of musical endurance. Over centuries, many composers have made variations on the famous madrigal. Several of which are featured here. Musica Fiorita performs here, under the direction of Daniela Dolci.

I Musicisti dell'imperatore present composers who were connected to the Habsburgs and Emperor Charles VI in the most varied ways. There is Giovanni Antonio Piani, almost unknown today and the best-paid musician of the Imperial Court Orchestra, and Antonio Caldara, Charles XI's favorite composer - both of him lived and worked in Vienna. Other music directors in the service of the Habsburgs were Alessandro Scarlatti and Antonio Vivaldi, in Naples and Mantua respectively. Founded in 2011, the young G.A.P. Ensemble consists of superb musicians who occupy leading positions in the most important European baroque orchestras. Since 2013 the ensemble has worked very closely with Italian Soprano Raffaella Milanesi, heard here. The name G.A.P. is a tribute to the ensembles connection with the aforementioned Italian composer Giovanni Antonio Piani, whose sonatas op. 1 were rediscovered by Emilio Percan and brought back to audiences in a world premiere recording.

Classical Music

"This release features a program of Habsburg violin music whose composers are unknown. The works are drawn from a manuscript held at the Minorite oratory, Vienna. The Austrian director and violinist Gunar Letzbor was a regular member of Musica Antiqua Köln and the Clemencic Consort, among others. In 1995, Mr. Letzbor founded the ensemble Ars Antiqua Austria, heard accompaning Mr. Letzbor on this disc."