Inna de Yard Days Chasing Days

Violinist Théotime Langlois de Swarte and lutist Thomas Dunford illuminate aspects of the elusive amalgamation that is the 17th-century English notion of melancholy. The inconsolable 'Mad Lover' of the album title is reimagined as a character from the reign of Charles II. This tale is told through music from the pen of such violin virtuosos as the prodigiously gifted Nicola Matteis. Heightened by the exuberance and abandon common to those musicians transplanted from Italy, the beguiling nuances of this language of yearning and loss continue to echo in the popular music of our time.

‘Not only do I like, admire, and adore your music, I have fallen in love with it, and am still smitten,’ wrote the young Marcel Proust to Gabriel Fauré in 1897. And added, ‘I know your work well enough to write a 300-page volume about it.’ Clearly, In Search of Lost Time is not a book devoted to Fauré, but this composer occupies a more important place therein than has been noted. Along with Reynaldo Hahn, Fauré was the mentor and guiding light of the author’s early years when the young man drew on his conversations with the master and on a re-hearing of Fauré’s scores to expand his musical knowledge and creative thought: ‘I spoke at great length with Fauré last night,’ a 24-year-old Proust confided to Hahn as early as 1895.

The violinist and composer Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber (1644–1704) was a celebrated Kapellmeister at the court of Archbishop Max Gandolph of Salzburg. Present-day audiences tend to think of him first and foremost as the author of anthologies of spectacular violin music such as his Rosary Sonatas of around 1670 and his Sonatas for solo violin of 1681. But attitudes to these works were initially devastatingly dismissive. In 1927, the eighth – posthumous – edition of Wilhelm Joseph von Wasielewski’s seminal Die Violine und ihre Meister appeared with revisions by the author’s son, Waldemar, and assured its readers that only “some” of these pieces were of “lasting musical merit”.

Klaus Mäkelä's auspicious first release as Music Director of the Orchestre de Paris featuring two iconic works of the 20th century, opening a series of recordings of music written for the Ballet Russes, showcasing the unique sonority of this great orchestra.

"Mayr's Masses were in demand across Europe, and their composition is rooted in the Italian tradition of the messa concertata which demands division into separate vocal numbers. The Mass in E minor has long been recognised as an outstanding example of Mayr's late style, with its polyphonic mastery and dialogues between singers and concertante solo instruments being exceptionally convincing. The Mass in F minor evokes both joy and deep melancholy, though accompanied, as always, by Mayr's notable gift for melodic beauty."

“Vox humana” or “Vox celestis”? For César Franck (1822-1890) the one is often a metaphor for the other; whether in sacred or secular vein, spirituality is inherent in all his vocal music, even the most modest of his choral works. Certain of these form the focus of attention in this first recording. They remain unpublished; were they perhaps thought to be of lesser worth for having originated in a religious or private celebration or in response to a publisher’s commission? We should remember that it was often the specific circumstances that provided Franck with the stimulus necessary for the realization of some of his masterpieces. Be that as it may, listening to these choral works offers the listener some delightful discoveries.

La Simphonie du Marais under their director Hugo Reyne are terrific. They bring this music alive with such stylish performances that bring fine textures, variety, colour and often some exotic moments, Hugo Reyne knowing just how to lift these suites to reveal every fine moment … These performances remain the benchmark.

Par l'Ensemble Vocal De Profundis, dir. Cristina García Banegas. L'œuvre de Francisco López Capillas constitue, sans aucun doute, le sommet du style polychoral baroque en Nouvelle-Espagne. Directement inspirée de Clément Janequin, sa « Missa de Batalla » fait s'opposer avec fracas les chœurs et les percussions. Elle est, ici, entourée des plus belles pages des compositeurs européens qui étaient ses contemporains, et que l'on chantait également dans les cathédrales de Puebla et de Mexico dont l'édification venait à peine de se terminer. Toute la somptuosité sonore de l'ancien et du Nouveau Monde.

Élisabeth Jacquet de La Guerre is one of the most remarkable female musical figures in history. Rarely has a woman composer garnered such esteem in her own time, and her success, rather than provoking resentment in the hearts of her contemporaries, inspired the utmost admiration. One has to give credit to the Grand Siècle, a unique period in this regard, for granting Élisabeth the respect she truly deserved. This recording features works seldom heard but nonetheless of exceptional quality, exemplifying two genres in which Jacquet de La Guerre excelled: the French cantata and the suite for harpsichord. In these, we can discover the intrinsic and timeless value of her artistry, regardless of the anecdotal aspects of the historical and social conditions in which they were created.

With rich texture and bold femininity, Jeanine De Bique releases her debut album 'Mirrors' on October 22, 2021 on Berlin Classics! Miss De Bique is accompanied by the renowned baroque orchestra Concerto Köln, with musical direction by Luca Quintavalle. The album focuses on baroque arias and includes three world premiere recordings. Arias of heroines such as Rodelinda, Alcina and Cleopatra, composed by George Friderich Handel and his contemporaries - Carl Heinrich Graun, Riccardo Broschi and Georg Philipp Telemann complete the program.