Mare Nostrum Iii

Within ten years and hundreds of concerts in Scandinavia, Central-, Southern- and Eastern-Europe and the Near- and Middle East, the trio "Mare Nostrum", consisting of the Sardinian trumpeter Paolo Fresu, French accordion virtuoso Richard Galliano and Swedish pianist Jan Lundgren has established itself as one of the most prominent ensembles of "The sound of Europe", drawing inspiration from jazz, classical and folk-/song-tradition - from the northernmost to the southernmost part of the continent.

The successor to Music in Europe at the time of the Renaissance, this second volume in our History of Early Music is devoted to the music of the first part of the Baroque period in Italy, from the Florentine Camerata and the first operas to the heirs of Monteverdi; it was at that time that the freedom of structure characteristic of the beginning of the 17th century began to give way to the first traces of formalism. This period covers almost an entire century, beginning with the performances of La Pellegrina mounted in Florence in 1589 and ending with the final operas of Francesco Cavalli in the early 1670s. The sacred and the profane mingled and met during this period, which also saw the birth of accompanied monody, opera and oratorio, virtuoso performance and the sonata; it is precisely this same mix that we see in the Nativity by Caravaggio that appears on the cover of this set. The musical expression of this Baroque aesthetic is the subject of Jérome Lejeune’s accompanying dissertation.

Album of 2017 - Atlantropa a project of superlatives - building a huge dam, draining the Mediterranean, winning new land, uniting Africa and Europe, creating peace. That was in 1920 the ideas of the engineer Hermann Sörgel. Congenially set in music, a concept album against current background. Diverse compositions, complex themes, extraordinary joy of playing and highest virtuosity. Simple - progressive rock with depth!

The celebration of the Nativity has always been a source of inspiration for composers. The different elements of the evangelical narrative evoke numerous images: tender feelings before the Baby Jesus; the gentleness of his mother, the Virgin Mary; the procession of the three Wise Men; the angelic choirs in Heaven; and these shepherds gathered in the manger. All that appears in the musical repertoire linked to this holiday, as well as the presence of colourful instrumentations and themes connected to folk traditions. This set, released by Ricercar, brings together all these elements, drawn from the repertoires of the Renaissance and Baroque eras.

A musical accompaniment to the Art Gallery of New South Wales’ exhibition Rembrandt and the Dutch Golden Age – Masterpieces from the Rijksmuseum.