The debut recording from South Carolina-born harpsichordist Gabriel Smallwood asks who made the young J.S. Bach. Smallwood is imaginative and technically assured in pieces mostly in the North German style with its free, episodic forms, its dense counterpoint, and its long, improvisatory flourishes.
Music Fit for a Teenage Bach Read More »
With two new recordings this year, the lautenwerk — an obscure, gut-stringed, mellow keyboard instrument sometimes called a “lute-harpsichord” — is having its moment. J.S. Bach owned two of them. Wolfgang Rübsam’s latest recording, of Bach’s didactic Inventions and Sinfonias, is a natural fit.
A Lautenwerk Revival Takes Shape Read More »
A new recording of golden-age viola da gamba music, highlighted by Marin Marais and Antoine Fourqueray, makes for a rewarding debut album. Pairing the viol with just a single theorbo, intriguingly, allows for easy, conversational flow between the two musicians.
Caroline Nicolas’ Gamba Debut: Stylish and Personal Read More »
New recordings of Bach’s ‘Saint Matthew Passion’ continue to come at us apace. The latest, from the Bay Area’s Cantata Collective, is highlighted by stellar vocal soloists and by Nicholas McGegan’s emotionally subtle conducting.
Cantata Collective Delivers the Latest ‘St. Matthew Passion’ Read More »
There’s no shortage of recent transcriptions of the ‘Goldberg Variations,’ but the Baroque Chamber Orchestra of Colorado, led by harpsichordist Frank Nowell, offers its own distinct take on J.S. Bach’s beloved masterpiece.
A Fresh Goldbergs from Colorado Read More »
The oldest known opera by a Black American composer, Edmond Dédé’s 1887 ‘Morgiane,’ had its world premiere last spring and now has its debut recording. Rich string writing, a variety of obbligato parts, and snappy dance rhythms point to a composer with an ear for traditions both formal (French grand opera) and folk (his New Orleans upbringing).
Edmond Dédé’s Morgiane: A Hit Opera, 138 Years Late Read More »
Amanda Forsythe is the star of this Telemann recording with the Boston Early Music Festival Orchestra. In a favorite cantata and showy opera arias, the soprano and ensemble deliver fiery intensity and emotional depth. And it’s a 2026 Grammy winner for Best Classical Solo Album.
Dazzling Telemann from Amanda Forsythe & BEMF Read More »
A best-of disc from 2022. The New York-based Makaris ensemble takes a refreshing, historically informed approach to 18th-c. Scottish tunes, (mis)attributed to David Rizzio.
Review: Celtic HIP from Makaris Read More »
She’s remembered for a letter the great Tartini sent her, a key document on 18th c. violin technique. But Maddalena Lombardini Sirmen was herself an inventive composer, and this is the first historical performance CD of her engaging Violin Duets Op. 5.
CD Review: You’ve Got Mail—a Forgotten Violinist Gets Her Due Read More »
A champion of under-performed 18-century treasures for cello, Elinor Frey’s latest recording is high in virtuosity and appeal. As the cover suggests, she has two instruments at her disposal: one a standard Strad-model cello, the other a 3/4 size cello that allows several of the works to really sing.
CD Review: Cellist Elinor Frey Explores Early Italian Concertos Read More »
