Kuijken+accent

Mozart's music for flute always seems to cause a twofold reaction. On the one hand, the music is undeniably beautiful, balanced and just a little more than what could be expected from the "gallant" style. On the other hand, note-writers are at pains to point out that Mozart apparently did not like the flute as an instrument and that in the case of the Flute Quartets, two of the four have not even been proved to be genuine Mozart. I think this Accent CD makes a wonderful plea for this music despite the doubts of booklet author Pieter Andriessen. The music is taken "seriously" by the four performers, producing a stringent, but eminently lovely version, with not only Bart Kuijken in top form at the flute, but also with the three string players providing a sheer amazing amount of intelligent accompaniment in an acoustic which could hardly be more transparent and more pleasant to the ear. The age of the 1982 recording nowhere becomes apparent, the engineering is as superb as the playing - an absolutely crowning achievement within the Kuijkens' career as three of the foremost proponents of the "period performance" school.

La Petite Bande has recorded a spectacular rendition of Bach’s four orchestral suites, certainly some of the most spectacular instrumental music of the Baroque repertoire. La Petite Bande director, Sigiswald Kuijken, has written a very informative essay explaining the history of these pieces. Unfortunately, more is unknown than known. Kuijken speculates that the works were conceived for string orchestra and the wind parts were added at a later date. He also notes that sections of the 4th Suite were reused in the opening chorus of the Christmas Cantata, BWV 110. Kuijken also remarks that he has rethought his approach to these works opting for small musical forces as opposed to the rather large ensemble that La Petite Bande employed in its performances and recording of about 30 years ago.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - Cassations G-Dur KV 63 & B-Dur KV 99 & Divertimento D-Dur KV 205
La Petite Bande / Sigiswald Kuijken
EAC+LOG+CUE | FLAC: 356 MB | Artwork | 5% Recovery Info
Label/Cat#: Accent # ACC 24187 | Country/Year: Belgium 2006
Genre: Classical | Style: Viennese School

…With a bright tone, buoyant tempos, piquant intonation, effortless ensemble, and relaxed virtuosity, the 12 musicians of La Petite Bande play together with exactly the kind of elegant brilliance and elevated intelligence the music requires. Under Kuijken's hands, these works, composed by the teenage Mozart, sound fresh, witty, tender, and altogether endearing. As delightful an addition to any Mozart shelf as it would be a welcome relief from the spiritual rigors of Bach's cantatas, this disc will please just about every classical enthusiast, especially in Accent's clear, deep 2006 digital sound.

François Couperin - Les Nations - Kuijken Ensemble
Sonades et suites de Simphonies en trio(1726)
Baroque | Ape + cue | no log | Covers | 2 CD | 526 MB | RS
ACCENT ACC 9285/86 D | 1999

The Kuijken Ensemble features Barthold Kuijken & Marc Hantaï on transverse flute, Sigiswald Kuijken & François Fernandez on violin, Wieland Kuijken on viola da gamba and Robert Kohnen on harpsichord. This re-issue of Couperin’s Les Nations “Sonades et suites de Simphonies en trio”- composed in 1726, received superb reviews on its original release. Unquestionably the three Kuijken brothers stand for top quality in historical performance, and this recording confirms such a statement. Hardly will you be able to hear this sophisticated music played so subtly, so sensitively.

Sigiswald Kuijken was born in 1944 close to Brussels. He studied violin at the conservatories of Bruges and Brussels, completing his studies at the latter institution with Maurice Raskin in 1964. He came into contact with early music at a very young age, together with his brother Wieland. Studying on his own, he gained a thorough knowledge of specific 17th- and 18th-century performance techniques and conventions of interpretation on violin and viola da gamba This led to the introduction, in 1969, of a more authentic way of playing the violin, whereby the instrument was no longer held under the chin, but lay freely on the shoulder; this was to have a crucial influence on the approach to the violin repertoire and was consequently adopted by many players starting in the early 1970s.

Sigiswald Kuijken was born in 1944 close to Brussels. He studied violin at the conservatories of Bruges and Brussels, completing his studies at the latter institution with Maurice Raskin in 1964. He came into contact with early music at a very young age, together with his brother Wieland. Studying on his own, he gained a thorough knowledge of specific 17th- and 18th-century performance techniques and conventions of interpretation on violin and viola da gamba This led to the introduction, in 1969, of a more authentic way of playing the violin, whereby the instrument was no longer held under the chin, but lay freely on the shoulder; this was to have a crucial influence on the approach to the violin repertoire and was consequently adopted by many players starting in the early 1970s.

There are quite a few French Baroque ballet and opera samplers on the market, perhaps because theses repertories, with their arcane textual and musical conventions and their unfamiliar genres, are thought to be rather inaccessible for general listeners in complete works or large chunks of them. The reconstructions of William Christie and others, including this disc's conductor, Sigiswald Kuijken, have shown that equal parts of imagination and musicality can go a long way toward making the operas of the French Baroque come alive, and the repertoires of virtuoso singers are beginning to reflect this.