Jea René Roy

Multiple prize-winning conductor René Jacobs and the B’Rock Orchestra complete their Schubert cycle on Pentatone with the composer’s two most famous symphonies, the Unfinished and Great. In his extensive liner notes, Jacobs develops a theory that the B Minor Symphony did not remain “unfinished”, but was deliberately left unfinished, because Schubert shaped its two movements in analogy to Mein Traum (My Dream), an autobiographical narration in two parts, written in 1822, simultaneous to the creation of the symphony. While the first half of Mein Traum tells about his mother’s decease and his problematic relationship to his father, the second part enters a magical, Romantic realm, and eventually brings a reconciliation with his father.

The Italian opera of the 17th century is a part of music history which is still hardly explored. Of course, Claudio Monteverdi's operas are regularly performed and recorded, and some of the stage works by his pupil Francesco Cavalli, the main composer of operas in Venice after Monteverdi's death has been given attention to, but many other works written in Italy in the 17th century are still to be rediscovered. One of the composers of that time whose works are hardly explored is Pietro Antonio Cesti. From the tracklist one may conclude that he was a prolific composer of operas. René Jacobs has been an avid advocate of Cesti's oeuvre, and in 1982 he made a recording of L'Orontea, arias from which he also performed at the concert in 1980 recorded and only recently released by ORF. He also gave performances of L'Argia, but so far that hasn't been recorded on disc.

There were lots of theatrical Rousseaus in the 18th century and Jean-Jacques (1712–78) was only the most famous of them. A fair amount of the intellectual impulse of Romanticism can be traced to (or blamed on) him. A poseur and charlatan in the grand format, this music copyist also found time to compose music, and this is his most enduring piece. Indeed, it is his only enduring music.

René Thomas (1927-1975) was considered the best European jazz guitarist of his generation by fellow musicians and critics, but his career was marred by the pervasive skepticism of jazz fans. Despite trying hard to carve his own space, he never obtained the recognition he deserved for his immense talent, perhaps because of his introverted character and prolonged withdrawals from the scene.

Rene Moore and Angela Winbush are clearly talented individuals, but put them together and magic happened that resonates to this day. From Los Angeles, Ivan Rene Moore played with the L.A. Philharmonic Orchestra and did keyboard sessions with Leon Russell and The Brothers Johnson. Angela Winbush moved to Los Angeles from her birthplace St. Louis and sang backgrounds with Dolly Parton, Jean Carn, Lenny Williams and played a concert as a member of Wonderlove for Stevie Wonder. A chance meeting through a mutual friend provided the springboard for a prolific seven year relationship of writing, production and soul music s best husband and wife team since Ashford & Simpson!

Atala - Le vieux Chef Indien Chactas de la tribu des Natchez donne récit de ses jeunes années à René l'Européen. A l'aube de ses dix-sept ans, Chactas, fils adoptif d'un ancien soldat français nommé Lopez, tombe dans une embuscade tendue par les Muscoculges au bord du Mississipi. Mais Atala la Vierge, ayant embrassé la foi chrétienne et jeune fille du Chef guerrier, s'éprend du prisonnier…