Café Zimmerman

The best thing about this release by Café Zimmerman – better than the stupendous performances, better than the glorious sound, better than the brilliant programming, better than the intelligent liner notes, and better even than the gorgeous reproduction of André Bouys' Servant Polishing the Silver on the cover – is the fact that it's the second release in a cycle of the complete concertos for diverse instruments by Bach. Led by violinist Pablo Valetti, Café Zimmerman is a lean and lovely period instrument chamber orchestra with impeccable ensemble, amazing virtuosity, incredible sensitivity, and endless nuances of tone and color.

A colleague and friend of Lully, Jean-Henry DAnglebert served as claveciniste in the grand sicle court of Louis XIV, the Sun King. His single publication, the Pices de Clavecin of 1689, was disseminated widely and reissued several times. His music is intricately sophisticated while at the same time serenely beautiful, with four suites, here played on the harpsichord and the lute-harpsichord.

The dynamic ensemble Brecon Baroque was founded in 2007 by violinist and director Rachel Podger as resident ensemble at her annual Brecon Baroque Festival.The international line-up consists of some of the leading lights in the period-instrument world,such as cellist Alison McGillivray,flautist Katy Bircher,oboist Alexandra Bellamy and violist Jane Rogers,as well as some of Rachel's former students who now occupy leading positions in many of Europe's finest ensembles:violinists Bojan Cicic and Johannes Pramsohler.