Historical performance often reveals fresh sounds in big symphonic music. The Philharmonie Austin’s Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony and ‘Romeo & Juliet’ showcases a thrilling Texas ensemble, while the European group Les Siècles, in Mahler’s ‘The Song of the Earth,’ goes back to the composer’s soundworld.
Tchaikovsky and Mahler, Refreshed on Period Instruments Read More »
With more shows on its calendar and looking for new (and possibly younger) dancers, the New York Baroque Dance Co. put out an audition call. Experience in Baroque style was a plus, but not a requirement. At the same time, the 50-year-old company started weekly technique classes to keep their dancers in peak form. These two components are coming together as Baroque dance continues to expand.
Training Specialists for Historical Dance Read More »
Jean Rondeau’s 10-CD compilation of all the known works of Louis Couperin is a cornucopia of delights. His harpsichord playing is off-the-charts terrific, as are the performances of his instrumental collaborators and vocalists. This highly persuasive box set is a must-have for aficionados of French keyboard repertoire.
Louis Couperin, All in One Place Read More »
Despite Bach’s overwhelming presence in our musical lives, a lot of influential scholarship remains inaccessible to a broader public because it is in German. A recent book (and searchable website) has bridged this gap with translations of over 50 lectures by prominent Bach expert Hans-Joachim Schulze. Loaded with the latest in-depth scholarship, the talks are nevertheless aimed toward the amateur listener.
50 Lectures on the Bach Cantatas Read More »
Celebrating 35 years, Ensemble Galilei has seen, and perhaps anticipated, the coming together of the traditional music scene with early music. Their latest album mixes the great Irish composer Turlough O’Carolan with John Dowland and music from Elizabethan England with cracking Irish tunes, plus a few newly composed works.
Ensemble Galilei, Where Trad and Early Music Meet Read More »
