Elizabeth Kenny Ars Onga

The subtitle of "A Bridge of Dreams," a 2011 album with Ars Nova Copenhagen and Paul Hillier, is "a cappella Music from the Pacific Rim," and it includes the works of composers from Australia, New Zealand, California, and China, all of which draws in part, if not entirely, on non-Western musical traditions. Lou Harrison left the accompaniment for his Mass for Saint Cecilia's Day open-ended and here Andrew Lawrence-King provides a discreet undergirding using medieval harp, psaltery, and hurdy-gurdy. It bears a strong resemblance to Medieval plainchant mass in its predominantly monophonic, melismatic writing, and its modal character. The modes, though, are Harrison's own, based on traditional Indonesian and Chinese scales. The mass is a beautifully expressive, immediately engaging piece that reveals a fresh facet of the composer's brilliantly expansive imagination.

Ars Antiqua Austria was founded in Linz in 1989 with the aim of introducing audiences to the roots of specifically Austrian baroque music played on period-instruments. The music performed at the imperial court in Vienna at this period shows the strong influence of Italy and later of French forms, while Spanish court ceremonials also shape the character of the works. The typical Austrian sound of the period also betrays the influence of the many Crownlands. The political and social boundaries of Austria in the baroque era were far wider than in the 20th century.

This is a gorgeous collection of unaccompanied sacred pieces from the masterly Ars Nova, under the inspired direction of Bo Holten. The honeyed tones of the choir infuse this music with such glory, in all its forms, that even a heart of stone might feel the divine reaching out, reflecting the pain, suffering, but also the absolute sense of compassion to all who hear it. Wonderfully warm and comforting (healing?) music, superbly sung. This cd comes with full text for the pieces, production is excellent, and you get access to all these riches for a trifle.

The Benedictine abbey at Lambach in Upper Austria was founded in 1056. Research undertaken since 2002 has revealed a treasure trove of musical works written by musicians associated with the abbey. Two such composers are featured on this disc, recorded in the historic building itself: Beniamin Ludwig Ramhaufski (c.1631-1694) and the Salzburgborn Joseph Balthasar Hochreither (1669-1731), who possibly studied with Biber.

…There's no such thing as having too many recordings of Alessandro Scarlatti cantatas. Presented here are five cantatas for soprano on the theme of the pain of love, three for basso continuo only, one with b.c. and flute, and one with b.c., violin and flute. Two harpsichord improvisations and an adagio from a toccata of 1723 act as sinfonias of sorts for three of the works - only one has its own original introductory sonata.

Admittedly, the name Benedikt Anton Aufschnaiter initially sounds like that of an Austrian minor master – this composer has remained virtually unknown until now, even in specialist circles. But such is far from the case with Aufschnaiter: Gunar Letzbor, who has released an entire series of impressive excavations of Austrian sacred music during recent years with his ensemble Ars Austria Antiqua, even refers to him as the 'Catholic Bach'! Both composers – Bach and Aufschnaiter – cultivate a compositional style of masterly polyphony that must have been almost ananachronim in their day but their mastery was unsurpassed. The fact that each composer arrived at completely different results may have something to do with the difference between Catholic and Protestant culture.

The numerous sonatas of the violinist-composer Antonio Bertali constitute a fascinating testimony as to the imperial splendour and culture at the Viennese court c. 1650. After being a violinist in the Accademia Filarmonica di Verona from 1620 to 1624, Bertali left for Vienna where one of the heights of his career was is appointment as Kapellmeister on October 1st 1649, and he would hold this position up to his death in 1669. Even though famous as a violinist in his lifetime, Antonio Bertali is not one of the bestknown composers for violin.

Eduard Melkus brought Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber's (1644-1704) Rosary Sonatas (Rosenkranzsonaten) to new life with his groundbreaking 1967 recording; in the six decades that have passed since then, the pieces, which are as virtuoso as they are meditative in mood, have conquered a firm place in the discographies of ambitious baroque violinists. The Austrian violinist Gunar Letzbor has been considered one of the leading interpreters of this famous cycle since he recorded his interpretation on album for the Arcana label in 1996. The success was overwhelming: the critics were enthusiastic and the recording is still today available in the label's catalogue.