Linde Consort

Hans-Martin Linde and his consort of period instruments emphasize the glories of Bach's marvellous tonal palette, making much of the sonorities afforded by the writing. From beginning to end these are performances which set the blood coursing through one's veins; Linde reckons that if Bach went to the trouble of scoring movements for trumpets, drums, oboes, bassoons and strings, then he probably was aiming at vivid, if not heroic gestures. [N.A. Gramophone+[/quote]

The Water Music is divided into three suites which are clearly differentiated by their tonality and instrumentation. The pieces with the lighter, more delicate instrumentation would certainly have been played indoors while the pieces with wind demanded double forces of woodwind and made their fullest effect in the open air. Handel’s other great al fresco work, the Music for the Royal Fireworks, was composed to commemorate the Peace of Aix-la-Chapelle in 1748. Opus 3 is, in its splendid and resourceful way, music of forceful originality and bold contours, and is derived from many varied sources - opera, anthem, Passion, even Corelli.

German musician Hans-Martin Linde has established impressive credentials in so many fields of endeavor that it is difficult to give him a primary classification. Some biographers will call him a flutist and recorder player first, then a conductor. He began his career as a flutist, but eventually turned to conducting, without, however, abandoning the flute or recorder. He has also performed in concert as a baritone singer; has drawn notice as a composer, particularly for his 1993 Concerto for recorder and strings; and has authored several authoritative books on flute and recorder performance.

The story of the power-hungry Agrippina was one of Handel's greatest operatic successes. The satirical text plays on the political situation under Pope Clement XI. at. The rousing production from the Slovak National Theater Bratislava is a lively baroque opera on original instruments.