Charivari

The "original Brandenburg concertos" subtitle of this release means less than it seems to suggest; the works have nothing to do with Bach's Brandenburg Concertos, which didn't even have that name until many years after the fact. The connection is that Torelli's concertos here were dedicated, in 1698, to Sophie Charlotte, Electress of Brandenburg-Ansbach and eventually the leader honored by the Charlottenburg castle in Berlin. Bach's concertos were dedicated to the Margrave of Brandenburg, member of another branch of the Prussian ruling line. The big news here is not the Brandenburg connection but the entirely fresh performances of Torelli's Op. 6 concertos.

Marais (1656-1728) was once among the least-known French baroque composers, a specialist in the viole (or viola da gamba), an instrument that was already obsolescent in his lifetime but one that he raised to unprecedented heights of technical finesse and expressive power. Now, since the film "Tous les Matins du Monde," in which his role was taken by Gerard Depardieu, his discography has risen to a full, well-deserved column in the Schwann-Opus catalogue. This beautifully styled recording of three suites and a caprice by the Charivari Agreable trio is a fine addition to his discography.

Charivari Agreable perform a collection of overtures from the Italian Baroque Opera, best described by director Kah-Ming Ng as lucidly crafted for the purpose of turning heads. In a decadent era when the theatregoers antics were often as intriguing as the on-stage performances, these works were composed to thrill, beguile and engage a distracted audience. Charivari Agreable represent a new and very exciting phase of the early music revival, one that enriches the existing repertory and can bring us ever closer to the spirit of the original music.