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Mayr: Telemaco / Hauk, Concerto De Bassus

Naxos

$29.99 Mar 10, 2017

Mayr's Telemaco was a product of turbulent political times in the Republic of Venice, which had been occupied by Napoleon's troops in late 1796. Military elements, with incorporated marches, feature strongly in a score that brought to contemporary Venetian theatre many of the innovative elements that were in vogue on the operatic stages of Paris. Taking classical Greek mythological material, Mayr fashioned an opera full of colour, interweaving instrumental interludes and dances into his arias, cavatinas and choruses, and crafting his own very personal vision of the nwe Italian opera seria.

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Mayr: Telemaco / Hauk, Concerto De Bassus
Naxos Mar 2017
CD
$29.99

J.S. Bach: Double & Triple Concertos

Hungaroton

$20.99 Sep 06, 2019

There is only a small number of orchestral pieces in Johann Sebastian Bach's oeuvre- which is surprising considering that the composer worked with excellent ensembles in both of his positions- as "Konzermeister" and Kapellmeister" - in Kothen and Weimar during the period between 1708 and 1723. This is particularly true of concertos where there is a high number of transcriptions, rearranged predominantly for harpsichord. Capella Savaria, Hungary's oldest period instrument ensemble, presents four of these on this album. The Capella Savaria (Szombathely) was founded in 1981 by Pál Németh. Their aim is to play 17th and 18th century music using the documents of the period. The play on authentic instruments with copies of bows of the epoch, studying the instrumental tutors of the Baroque era, referring to articulation, embellishment and, in wider sense, the characteristic sound of the whole period. The basis of the ensemble is strings, which are joined by other instruments as required.

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J.S. Bach: Double & Triple Concertos
Hungaroton Sep 2019
CD
$20.99

Mozart: Piano Concertos Nos. 15 & 16 / Brautigam, Willens, Cologne Academy

BIS

SACD

$15.99 ~~$21.99~~ Save 25% Apr 14, 2015

This is a hybrid Super Audio CD playable on both regular and Super Audio CD players.

In May 1784, shortly after completing the two piano concertos recorded here, Mozart described them in a letter to his father as 'concertos which are bound to make the player sweat.’ In his correspondence he also pointed out the particular importance of the wind instruments in the two works. This is obvious already in the first movement of the Concerto in D major, K 451, which opens the disc: for long stretches Mozart revels in the soloistic capabilities of the winds and elsewhere he builds up chordal textures in which the winds’ distinctive colours dominate. In a similar manner, the winds take the lead from the very beginning of the B flat major concerto, K 450, with the strings answering. Throughout the movement, the woodwinds are absolutely vital to the narrative and Mozart playfully exploits the diverse colours of the winds, frequently featuring pairs of them playing in octaves: oboe/bassoon, oboe/horn or horn/bassoon. In the Andante the wind instruments are silent from start, but once they enter they again dominate in terms of colours. The delicacy of the piano writing throughout this movement adds to the very special quality of the concerto, in which Mozart seems to point the way towards Beethoven.

Previous discs in this series have earned distinctions such as Editor’s Choice (Gramophone), IRR Outstanding (International Record Review), ‘10’ (klassik-heute.de) and Disco excepcional (Scherzo). On their eighth instalment, Ronald Brautigam and Die Kölner Akademie have chosen to close the programme with a Rondo in D major, originally intended as a replacement finale for the Piano Concerto No.5, K 175. Offering a range of different moods and introducing a variety of quasi-operatic characters, the Rondo became greatly popular in Vienna and beyond, and was in fact sometimes published as a stand-alone work.

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Mozart: Piano Concertos Nos. 15 & 16 / Brautigam, Willens, Cologne Academy
BIS Apr 2015
SACD
~~$21.99~~ $15.99

Vivaldi: The Four Seasons & Other Concerti / Whelan, Chandler, La Serenissima

Avie Records

$19.99 Sep 01, 2015

Adrian Chandler, who founded the period-instrument ensemble La Serenissima 21 years ago, has produced a dozen enlightening, acclaimed, and award-winning albums for AVIE. After many years of anticipation, Ade turns his attention to the touchstone of Vivaldi’s concerto output, The Four Seasons. As one has come to expect, he brings something unique to an interpretation brimming with vitality and originality. Putting this most popular of classical works into context, Ade rounds out the recording with Vivaldi concertos for bassoon, including the famous La Notte, and world premiere recordings of two concertos for the violin in tromba marina, a hitherto obsolete instrument that was used during Vivaldi’s lifetime.

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Vivaldi: The Four Seasons & Other Concerti / Whelan, Chandler, La Serenissima
Avie Records Sep 2015
CD
$19.99

Telemann: Sonatas for Bassoon & Guitar

Naxos

$13.99 ~~$19.99~~ Save 30% Apr 22, 2022

Georg Philipp Telemann was the most famous of all German composers during his lifetime and a master of all musical genres. Every piece in this album dates from his triumphant years in Hamburg, where he was the city's music director. They are heard in exciting new arrangements reflecting Telemann's own practice in transcribing his works for various instruments. The two Sonatinas come from the collection Neue Sonatinen of 1730-31, a rich source of material, while the Fantasias derive from the Fantasias for viola da gamba, with much polyphonic writing cast in galant style.

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Telemann: Sonatas for Bassoon & Guitar
Naxos Apr 2022
CD
~~$19.99~~ $13.99

Vivaldi: Concerti, Op. 8 / Beznosiuk, The Avison Ensemble

Linn Records

$29.99 Jun 22, 2018

In its second release on Linn, The Avison Ensemble explores the rich diversity and delights of all twelve concertos in Vivaldi’s Opus 8. It includes the composer’s most famous work, 'The Four Seasons’, which contains some of the most instantly recognizable music ever composed and is today viewed as a pinnacle of musical art. Directed by Pavlo Beznosiuk, The Avison Ensemble presents an insightful and spirited performance of the masterpiece. Each of the twelve concertos is extremely demanding and Beznosiuk’s virtuosity permeates throughout each performance. The thematic elements within each innovative work result in a collection that is colorful, fresh and emotionally charged, and is a true testament of Vivaldi’s ability for invention and variation. Beznosiuk states: ‘The Four Seasons are well-known, well-loved and great fun to play, but let us not forget how richly characterful the other eight concerti are also. Throughout the set Vivaldi’s musical energy vibrates within us, connecting us to him in an irresistible, celebratory collection’.

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Vivaldi: Concerti, Op. 8 / Beznosiuk, The Avison Ensemble
Linn Records Jun 2018
CD
$29.99

Puzzi: Messa a quattro voci con Violoncelli, Fagotti, Basso,

Ramee

$20.99 Nov 28, 2025

The Messa a quattro voci con Violoncelli, Fagotti, Basso, ed Organo is an example of a particular type of sacred music that emerged at the end of the 18th century at the Portuguese court, in which the bass instruments imitate a classical orchestral texture. The resulting instrumental ensemble - two cellos and two bassoons with solo lines, with the bass line assigned to double bass and organ - was to remain standard until the first quarter of the 19th century. A body of some thirty works, including masses, settings of psalms. The Te Deum, Vespers, and responsories is proof enough of the importance of this repertoire in Portuguese musical life in this period; there was nothing equivalent to this instrumentation in other European lands at that time. This, the first recording of a work from this uniquely Portuguese repertoire with obbligato cellos and bassoons, is also the first recording of a work by Antonio de Padua Puzzi.

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Puzzi: Messa a quattro voci con Violoncelli, Fagotti, Basso,
Ramee Nov 2025
CD
$20.99

Mix & Match

Bach: Brandenburg Concertos / Lamon, Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra

Tafelmusik

$20.99 Mar 27, 2012

“To my ears, these are Brandenburgs straight from the heart and as such they are performances which invite repeated listening.”

– Gramophone

1995 JUNO Award Winner – “Best Classical Album: Large Ensemble.”

The Six Brandenburg Concertos by Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) are considered by musicians, critics and audiences alike among the finest musical compositions of the baroque era. Bach presented the concertos to the Margrave of Brandenburg, Christian Ludwig, in Berlin, March 24, 1721, with the hopes some patronage would come his way. The music was preserved in the Brandenburg archives, and when rediscovered in the 19th century became some of the most beloved music of all time. Beloved is the operative word in this re-release of the masterpieces in the hands of JEANNE LAMON and the TAFELMUSIK BAROQUE ORCHESTRA. Critic Teb Libbey wrote, “Lucid and refreshingly pure, like water drawn from a cool, clear stream, these accounts are notable for the consistently clean textures and solid bass lines, for the way melodic lines and voice leading are clearly delineated, and for the manner in which the solo instruments emerge from the tutti with just the right amount of presence. With excellent sound, these are well-nigh ideal realizations.”

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Bach: Brandenburg Concertos / Lamon, Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra
Tafelmusik Mar 2012
CD
$20.99

Busoni: Piano Concerto / Schmidt-isserstedt, Johansen, Et Al

Music and Arts Programs of America

$18.99 Sep 01, 2005

Dissatisfied with the traditional concerto form, Bussoni created a monumental work lasting 68 minutes which is symphonic in scale and intent, requiring of the pianist virtuosity and stamina of the highest order, yet also a sensitive, even intimate, collaboration with the orchestra. In this well-proportioned performance by Egon Petri's foremost pupil Gunnar Johansen, that above all respects Busoni's large-scale architecture, listeners will hear both the trancendental virtuosity and the poetic sensitivity called for by the score. Released with the kind cooperation of the Gunnar and Lorraine Johansen Foundation.

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Busoni: Piano Concerto / Schmidt-isserstedt, Johansen, Et Al
Music and Arts Programs of America Sep 2005
CD
$18.99

Francois Devienne Quartets

Channel Classics

SACD

$21.99 Jan 01, 2015

Until about 1960, Francois Devienne was one of the best-kept secrets of French music history. Celebrated in late-eighteenth-century France as a bassoonist, flautist and composer, his legacy was overshadowed by his Austrian contemporaries Haydn and Mozart. Forgotten to time were no less than seven symphonies, nineteen concertos, forty-six trios, sixty-seven sonatas, a dozen comic operas and fifty songs - all composed before the age of forty-three. On this release, the ensemble Musica Reale performs a selection of Devienne's Flute Quartets and Bassoon Quartets.

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Francois Devienne Quartets
Channel Classics Jan 2015
SACD
$21.99

HONEY-COLOURED COW

HYPERION

$18.49 May 23, 2025

From TV theme tunes to a folk-inspired 'circle dance on seven notes' by Villa-Lobos, Laurence Perkins-aided by a wide variety of accompanists-presents another pleasing miscellany of composers and works (no fewer than fourteen of each) demonstrating the many moods and expressive potential of the bassoon.

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HONEY-COLOURED COW
HYPERION May 2025
CD
$18.49

Mozart: Flute Concertos

Alpha

$20.99 Aug 22, 2025

In 1777, Mozart met the wealthy Ferdinand Dejean, an amateur flautist and retired surgeon of the Dutch East India Company. Dejean commissioned a handful of works from the young composer, who termed them 'some simple, short little concertinos'. Nevertheless, these pieces, which actually demand great virtuosity from the soloist, as well as a sensitivity to tonal nuances, have continued to be popular favourites ever since. A short while later, during his stay in Paris, Mozart wrote a further concerto, this time for a flute-playing aristocrat and his harpist daughter to perform as a duo of soloists - both of them 'admirable musicians' according to Mozart. Unlike Dejean, this noble virtuoso had an up-to-date instrument with eight keys, allowing the flute to reach down to middle C, and to play in the - hitherto impractical - key of C. Supported by A Nocte Temporis, the ensemble that she founded in 2016 with Reinoud Van Mechelen, flautist Anna Besson, now one of the most acclaimed instrumentalists of her generation, has recorded these evergreen works, with solo harpist extraordinaire Clara Izambert joining her in the Concerto for Flute and Harp.

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Mozart: Flute Concertos
Alpha Aug 2025
CD
$20.99

Pizzetti: Symphony in A & Harp Concerto / Iorio, Bassani, RAI National Symphony Orchestra

Naxos

$19.99 May 12, 2017

Composed in 1940, Pizzetti's Symphony in A was one of the works, which included Benjamin Britten's Sinfonia da Requiem, commissioned to celebrate the 2600th anniversary of the accession of the legendary first Emperor of Japan. This powerful and unsettling work, Pizzetti's only Symphony, is notable for its ominous mood, its compositional progress between February and June 1940 mirroring the unfolding European conflict and Italy's own declaration of war. Written twenty years later for Italy's leading harpist Clelia Gatti Aldrovandi, the sunny Harp Concerto is, by contrast, both lyrical and vivacious.

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Pizzetti: Symphony in A & Harp Concerto / Iorio, Bassani, RAI National Symphony Orchestra
Naxos May 2017
CD
$19.99

Rawsthorne: Cello Concerto, Etc / Baillie, Rancourt, Et Al

Naxos

$19.99 Jan 01, 2001

Once again Naxos pulls a rabbit out of its hat with this gorgeous release of Alan Rawsthorne's music (with two world premieres yet). Rawsthorne (1905-71) was one of a middle generation of 20th century British Romanticists whose music had a somewhat rough edge, veering toward elements of atonality without really crossing the line (this is particularly true of his symphonies). One of Rawsthorne's best works, easily ranking with his symphonies, is the Symphonic Studies (1939) performed here. With its shifting moods and bright orchestral colors, this work more closely resembles a concerto for orchestra and is full of delicious surprises. It alone is worth the price of admission.

The world premieres here are the two concertos, one for oboe from 1947, the other a 1966 cello concerto. Both are mainstream Romantic works but with a bit more emotional content than found in the Symphonic Studies. The Oboe Concerto might draw comparisons with the one by Vaughan Williams, but while it has the same depth of emotion, it also has fewer melancholic elements. The soloist is Stéphane Rancourt, whose oboe provides a warm, sympathetic reading of the material without being assertive or showy. The Cello Concerto is a more dour work and it will remind the informed listener of Arnold Bax's cello concerto--but again, without that composer's brooding temperament. However, every performance element here is in place and the sound quality is superior. If you're new to Rawsthorne, there is no better introduction to his music than the Symphonic Studies. This is a real find.
--Paul Cook, ClassicsToday.com

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Rawsthorne: Cello Concerto, Etc / Baillie, Rancourt, Et Al
Naxos Jan 2001
CD
$19.99

Altissima - Works for Baroque Trumpet / Cohen, Abraham, Ensemble Sprezzatura

Chandos

$21.99 Jan 20, 2023

The baroque trumpeter Josh Cohen is among the most sought-after clarino specialists in North America. A native of the Washington, DC area, he performs regularly with most of the leading early music ensembles in North America and has appeared as principal or solo baroque trumpet with ensembles such as Tafelmusik (Toronto), Washington Bach Consort, Studio de musique ancienne de Montréal, Arion Orchestre Baroque (Montreal), The Bach Sinfonia (Washington, DC), Seraphic Fire (Miami), Apollo’s Fire (Cleveland), and the Sebastians (New York) to name but a few.

The development of historically informed trumpet playing has come a long way since the very early days of the movement, from coiled trumpets – first produced by Steinkopf-Finke, and played by Walter Holy in a 1962 recording of the Second Brandenburg Concerto under Harnoncourt – to the first modern baroque trumpets of Meinl & Lauber. Devoted to a broad cross-section of trumpet repertoire from the late seventeenth century through the mid-eighteenth, this recording shows how far the art of playing the baroque trumpet has advanced.

REVIEW:

This release by Baroque trumpeter Josh Cohen and the small Ensemble Sprezzatura features sounds from a natural valveless trumpet that are not often heard. Cohen is one of a group of players, at first mostly American, who have cultivated not only the playing technique but the repertory that goes with this instrument, much of it German and most of it unknown. For the full effect, sample the high Cs in several movements of the Sinfonia à 7 of Johann Samuel Endler. Another highlight is Telemann's Concerto in D major, TWV 43:D7, where the continuo group includes a bassoon, and Telemann gets delightful sonorities out of this rather unwieldy group. The backing from Ensemble Sprezzatura under director Daniel Abraham is lively and sensitive to the soloist's challenges. Brass players may be especially alert to the technical rigors involved in Cohen's playing, but any Baroque enthusiast will find this a diverting release that brings home just how far trumpet playing has advanced over the last 50 years.

-- AllMusic.com (James Manheim)

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Altissima - Works for Baroque Trumpet / Cohen, Abraham, Ensemble Sprezzatura
Chandos Jan 2023
CD
$21.99

Tamberg: Joanna Tentata Suite, Symphonic Dances, Concerto Grosso / Jarvi, Hague Residentie

BIS

$21.99 Jun 01, 2010

Estonian composer Eino Tamberg (b. 1930) is the real deal--a composer with a fresh take on traditional tonal music who knows how to write tunes and score them with unfailing color and point. His Concerto Grosso--for flute, trumpet, clarinet, alto saxophone, bassoon, piano, harp, strings, and percussion--is a masterpiece of 20th century neo-classicism and it deserves to be a repertory item. It dates from 1956 and at only Op. 5 it announces a major talent. The Symphonic Dances arrived a year later and fall within similar stylistic parameters, from the opening tune that has a Poulenc-like wit, to the three saxophones that give Tamberg's scoring a truly modern feel.

If you had the chance to hear Tamberg's 1976 opera Cyrano de Bergerac (and if you didn't, get it--it's on CPO), then you already know that he has a wonderful feeling for the theater, and for writing dramatic music. The ballet Joanna Tentata is based on the same source that gave us Penderecki's opera The Devils of Loudon. Now let's face it, stories about demonic possession in a convent have lots of juicy potential, as well as a long history on the stage, going back through Prokofiev's The Fiery Angel to Meyerbeer's Robert le Diable. Tamberg's ballet suite instantly establishes the story's haunted setting (church bells leading to a big, dissonant instrumental pileup), but the music at the same time celebrates and positively reeks of the dance. And once again we can only applaud Tamberg's willingness (and ability) to write a good tune.

Believe it or not, some of this music has been recorded previously. The Concerto Grosso appeared on a difficult-to-source Antes CD in a very fine performance by Estonian forces. This new version is wonderful too, even more naturally recorded, and Neeme Järvi is just the conductor for this colorful, exciting, and strongly gestural music. The musicians of the Residentie Orkest also clearly relish Tamberg's ebullient musical personality and the opportunities he gives them to shine. We can only hope that BIS will delve more deeply into Tamberg's output and help to bring him some of the international attention he surely deserves.

--David Hurwitz, ClassicsToday.com

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Tamberg: Joanna Tentata Suite, Symphonic Dances, Concerto Grosso / Jarvi, Hague Residentie
BIS Jun 2010
CD
$21.99

Mozart: Concerto for Two Pianos, KV 365; Sinfonia Concertant

Alpha

$15.99 ~~$20.99~~ Save 25% Oct 18, 2024

This tenth volume in the 'Next Generation Mozart Soloists' series presents works that are less frequently recorded, including a concerto for two pianos (in it's original orchestration), separate movements for violin and orchestra (an Adagio and two Rondos) and, following in the footsteps of the Baroque concerto grosso, the Symphonie concertante for oboe, clarinet, horn, bassoon and orchestra. It's an opportunity to discover a superb array of soloists from very different backgrounds: the Sakamoto piano duo, 2021 winners of the prestigious ARD competition in Munich; the Syrian violinist Bilal Alnemr, a member of the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra; the Frenchmen Nicolas Ramez, also an ARD winner, and Gabriel Pidoux, an existing Alpha recording artist (ALPHA789); Theo Plath, principal bassoon with the Frankfurt Radio Orchestra; and Blaž Sparovec, principal clarinet with the Gurzenich Orchestra in Cologne.

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Mozart: Concerto for Two Pianos, KV 365; Sinfonia Concertant
Alpha Oct 2024
CD
~~$20.99~~ $15.99

The Bassoon Abroad - Foreign Composers In Britain / Harris, Ensemble Chameleon

Carus

$20.99 Jan 28, 2014

THE BASSOON ABROAD: Foreign Composers in Britain • Jennifer Harris (bn); Ens Chameleon • CARUS 83.463 (69:25)

GALLIARD 6 Sonatas for Bassoon/Cello and Basso Continuo: No. 1 in a; No. 2 in G; No. 5 in d; No. 6 in C. The Advice. TRAD The Bush aboon Traquair. The Flowers of Edinburgh. The Lass of Pattie’s Mill. MERCI 6 Sonatas for Bassoon, op. 3: No. 1 in B?; No. 3 in E?; No. 4 in g; No. 5 in c. LAMPE The Solitary Relief. The Maid’s Request

Elsewhere in this volume, I welcome The Proud Bassoon , a recital of German and French bassoon works from the late Baroque period played by the Scottish Baroque bassoon virtuoso Peter Whelen. Now, here from the same package of goodies sent by publisher Joel Flegler, is another recital of Baroque bassoon works, played by a different outstanding proponent of the instrument, English-born Jennifer Harris. These are works primarily of the French (despite the name) composer Luigi Merci and German composer John Ernest Galliard, both of whom immigrated to England to become part of the lively music scene dominated by another German, George Frideric Handel. Harris, incidentally, has made the counter-move, having transplanted to Germany for her advanced studies and subsequent career as an orchestral and chamber musician. She is currently professor of Baroque bassoon at the Conservatory of the City of Vienna University.

The two principal composers are not well known. Galliard moved to England by way of the Court of Denmark to become chapel-master of Somerset House in London. Merci served James Brydges, first Duke of Chandos, before moving to London as well. Among the few surviving works, both produced a set of six sonatas for bassoon and continuo, four each of which Harris has chosen as the core of this recital. They are remarkable for their timing—the bassoon was just coming into its own as a solo instrument at the time of their composition and publication—and for their quality and variety of style. While not masterpieces on the exalted plane of Handel, they display the considerable melodic gift of their creators, and are substantial works which suggest the discernment and playing skill of the public which bought them for home music-making.

Like the works on The Proud Bassoon , these sonatas often require a soloist of considerable skill to pull them off. New instruments based on surviving period bassoons, courses of study to teach the instrument with its complex, very different fingerings, and still others to teach period performance practice, are now resulting in a crop of outstanding proponents of the instrument and this repertoire. Harris is clearly one of these, and she and the remarkable artists of Ensemble Chameleon are making a most impressive CD debut with this outstanding release. The works may not be masterpieces, but the performances are, with Harris’s imaginative, charismatic, and always virtuoso performances ably seconded by the other four members of Ensemble Chameleon. They are so good they should be named individually: Ulrike Becker plays Baroque cello; Barbara Messmer, violone; Andrea Baur, lute; and Evelyn Laib, harpsichord. The often subtle, continually varied sonorities produced as accompaniment are a constant delight, with the alternate use of plucked strings and harpsichord especially nicely done. Tempos are lively but avoid the Lamborghini-like approach of some ensembles from farther south.

Solo honors are shared a bit. The ensemble, sans bassoon, plays German composer John Frederick Lampe’s ballad The Solitary Relief , taken from a 1756 song collection Apollo’s Cabinet , and Harris joins them for a sampling of Scottish airs from the same collection. Laib takes a solo turn in the same composer’s The Maid’s Request . Becker and Baur play a Galliard ballad, The Advice . They are as impressive individually as collectively.

Carus, known for its superbly engineered releases, has added yet another to its catalog. Notes by the soloist, to which I am indebted, are lively and informative, and provide, along with the context of the works, a clever motivation for the program concept. She also makes an interesting connection between the period settings of Scottish airs interspersed among the sonatas, and the music of Merci and Galliard. All in all, presentation and music, the release is perfect. Some admirers of late Baroque music may shy from this disc because of the drier, stuffier quality of the Baroque bassoon. That would be a shame, as the sonority is ideal for the music and the ensemble. and the music is a delight. Highly recommended.

FANFARE: Ronald E. Grames

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The Bassoon Abroad - Foreign Composers In Britain / Harris, Ensemble Chameleon
Carus Jan 2014
CD
$20.99

Busoni: Piano Concerto / Volker Banfield, Lutz Herbig
CPO Jan 1900
CD
$18.99

Mozart: Violin Concerto 3, Concertone / Kremer, Grindenko
RCA Jul 2007
CD
$17.99

Ries: Chamber Music / Franz Ensemble

MDG

SACD

$24.99 Nov 01, 2019

Ferdinand Ries must have made a strong impression as a pianist. Beethoven, a gifted pianist in his own right, even entrusted the premiere of his Piano Concerto No. 3 to Ries. The two had known each other since their days together in Bonn, when Ries’s parents took the half-orphan Ludwig into their family. Ries was Beethoven’s right-hand man in Vienna, and what he learned from his great model, who was fourteen years his senior, is impressively demonstrated by the Franz Ensemble on its debut album: brilliant virtuosity meets Classical form, and tradition appears in new guise – for a very special anticipation of the 250th anniversary of Beethoven’s birth! Ries delights in experimentation in his Sextet and surprises us with his original instrumental combinations. The solo piano is joined by the harp, which also has to rise to the highest challenges, while the clarinet, horn, and bassoon form an accompaniment of orchestral character over the double bass foundation. The pianist also has the opportunity to shine as a soloist in the Octet- which amounts to a piano concerto en miniature. It recalls Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 5. Unknown music in unusual combinations- that is the specialty of the Franz Ensemble. The young musicians around the clarinetist Maximilian Krome are not afraid to test new material.

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Ries: Chamber Music / Franz Ensemble
MDG Nov 2019
SACD
$24.99

Vivaldi: Concertos / Capella Savaria

Hungaroton

$20.99 Apr 06, 2018

Hungarian period instrument orchestra Capella Savaria has been hailed by the Canadian Opus Magazine as “one of Europe’s best ensembles”. Their new release offers an insight into Antonio Vivaldi’s concerto œuvre consisting of over 500 fascinating compositions. Besides the undoubtedly most substantial (and popular) pieces, the album also has a selection of concertos for flute and bassoon occasionally evoking the atmosphere of Vivaldi’s most renowned composition, The Four Seasons. Founded in 1981, in Szombathely, Capella Savaria has earned its fame as the first period instrument chamber orchestra of Hungary. Its innovative efforts created quite a sensation at the time in musical circles. The ensemble’s objectives were, from the onset, to play Baroque and Classical music in an authentic way by relying on genuine documents of the period. The founding artistic director was Pal Nemeth, followed by Zsolt Kallo who has been directing the ensemble since 1999. The members play authentic 18th century instruments or their copies.

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Vivaldi: Concertos / Capella Savaria
Hungaroton Apr 2018
CD
$20.99

Bach: Violin Concertos / Kavakos, Apollon Ensemble
Sony Masterworks Mar 2024
CD
$13.98

Vivaldi: Concerti per violino archi e basso continuo
Stradivarius Dec 2007
CD
$18.99

J.S. BACH CONCERTOS FOR HARPSICHORD & STRINGS; BWV

ALTO

$12.77 Nov 27, 2020

crisp, clear-sighted approach, all proceeds at a proper tempo and, where appropriate, with a spring in it's heels. The slow movements are sensitively expressive... this is basically how such works would have been heard in their time, you may feel this is the way it should be... The strings are 'authentic' and respectful of every element... I thoroughly enjoyed this and the superb recording "Ivor Bolton is close enough to be heard in realistic balance, (his) clean and incisive fingers bring the music to life in these most enjoyable recordings." (Gramophone)

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J.S. BACH CONCERTOS FOR HARPSICHORD & STRINGS; BWV
ALTO Nov 2020
CD
$12.77