Reviews by the editorial staff of Early Music America. Have a new recording or book? Submit it for consideration.
Play, Music! Songs from Shakespeare
Shakespeare's plays are rich in song, with productions at the Globe Theatre featuring musically trained actors and a small instrumental band. We have the texts, but there is no surviving music from any of the Bard's plays. A new recording from the ensemble Theatro finds 'lost' songs from a range of sources, including popular Elizabethan songs.
The Hothouse Origins of French Opera
The premise of these essays on the beginnings of French opera isn’t so much about the expected topics — composers and repertoire — but about the Académie royale de musique, the complicated, personality-rich institution that managed and shaped how the burgeoning art form evolved. It’s a rewarding approach when viewed as “an almost ideal example of tradition building.”
Haitham Haidar, Singing from Two Worlds
Haitham Haidar, a fast-rising Canadian tenor of Lebanese and Palestinian roots, finds ‘connections between what we generally view as separate worlds.’ He describes his debut album, 'Zaytoun' — 'olive' in Arabic — as joining 'the heart and soul of my Arabic roots with my love and dedication to Baroque music.'
Almost-a-Century Celebration for Bamboo Pipers
A new recording from the ever-musical Flanders Recorder Duo celebrates the 99th anniversary of the International Pipers' Guild, an effort to provide inexpensive instruments for students. Soon these pipes were made by the kids themselves. From Medieval music to Bach and Vaughan Williams, the Flanders Duo show us the sweet charms of this most basic of instruments.
Locatelli Rarities from Fabio Biondi and Europa Galante
A new recording of two under-performed works by Pietro Antonio Locatelli — his A Major Violin Concerto and six so-called 'Introduttioni teatrali' of unknown background and function — shows a masterful and highly satisfying synthesis of various Baroque forms. The ensemble and solo violin charms and sparkles.
J.H. Roman’s Inventive, Beguiling ‘Assaggi’
Swedish composer Johann Helmich Roman coined the term 'Assaggi' for his solo violin works, first published in 1740. Inventive and often lacking tempo markings, these brilliant pieces invite an improvisatory approach. Canadian American violinist Alison Luthmers' new recording delivers beautifully, with a rich variety of tone.
Musical Modernity in Enlightenment Spain
This new study broadens our understanding of the Enlightenment in Spain. Author Sánchez-Rojo builds a case for the modernization occurring in 18th-century Spain and explores the very notion of modernity, including the boom of the Spanish periodical press in the 1780s and a captivating treatment of music and medicine focused on the tarantella.
Flying Among the Blessed Choirs with Les Kapsber’girls
The French vocal and instrumental ensemble Les Kapsber’girls take their punning name from Hieronymus Kapsberger, but on their third album this exquisite group branches out to present an array of vocal works by Italian women composers from all walks of life and levels of fame.
Harpsichord Suites from the London Loeillet
Polish harpsichordist Maria Banaszkiewicz-Bryla makes a strong case for the suites of Flemish-born Jean Baptiste Loeillet, often known as Loeillet of London. The playing is imaginative, exceptionally lyrical, and technically impeccable.
Sky of my Heart: New Sounds for Old Instruments
New York Polyphony and LeStrange Viols, two ensembles prized for their early-music performances, here connect contemporary composers with Renaissance masters, a pairing at once mysterious and familiar.
