London Baroque

In their survey of the trio sonata, London Baroque has already visited France, England and Germany and now arrives at the birthplace of the genre – Italy in the 17th Century. In this period, instrumental music was becoming important in its own right, and soon the violin was recognized as the ideal vehicle for this new style.

The closing disc in London Baroque’s survey of the rise and fall of the trio sonata. Looking back over this eight-disc series, which opened with three Fantasias composed before 1620 by Orlando Gibbons, it becomes clear how far London Baroque has travelled. The series has taken in both staples of the repertoire and more or less unknown jewels, by composers still revered today or awaiting rediscovery.

London Baroque offers another installment in its ongoing European Trio Sonata series, this time devoted to 18th-century Italy; as with the ensemble’s previous efforts the program features generally excellent performances of lesser-known repertoire. Ten years ago I reviewed a similar 18th-century Italian program by this same group titled “Stravaganze Napoletane”, also on BIS, and was generally impressed with the performances–except for one piece: Domenico Gallo’s Sonata No. 1 in G major.

London Baroque is one of the most highly respected and widely admired ensembles devoted to the performance of Baroque chamber music. The group's broad repertory has included familiar as well as virtually unknown works from the period inclusive of the late 16th to the mid 18th centuries. London Baroque consists of four players two violinists, a cellist, and keyboardist but is sometimes augmented by additional instrumentalists or vocalists.

Schmelzer & Muffat - Sonatas
Classical, Baroque | 1 CD | EAC | FLAC, CUE, LOG | Scans | 336 MB | RS
Recorded: Oct. 1985 | Released: 1992 [1986] | Label: HMA 1901220 | TT: 61:29
London Baroque (dir. Charles Medlam)

One of London Baroque's first recordings, this 1986 issue of chamber sonatas by Schmelzer and Muffat retains its power to charm, move, and thrill. (James Leonard, All Music Guide)
Ensemble is crisp and well balanced and intonation is excellent. […] The two violinists are beautifully matched but special praise must go to Ingrid Seifert for her passionate account of the Sonata a tre to which the designation Lament has speculatively been appended. […] All in all then, a fine release of interesting sonatas, imaginatively performed and beautifully recorded. (Gramophone, Nov. 1986)

This is the second of a planned series of eight discs promising to trace the development of the trio sonata, the archetypal Baroque chamber form. The first, devoted to music from London Baroque’s home country, was reviewed in Fanfare 28:3 with considerable enthusiasm by Laura Rónai, and by myself elsewhere in a review that largely mirrored my colleague’s findings. Now London Baroque has turned its attention to what was happening during the same period across the English Channel, with equally commendable results.
FANFARE: Brian Robins

This release is part of an eight-disc series by the small historical-instrument ensemble London Baroque, covering the entire history of the trio sonata in four countries (Italy, Germany, France, and England) over two centuries (17th and 18th). The series is more aimed at those with a strong interest in Baroque instrumental music than at general listeners, but several of them have been attractive for anyone, and this album falls into that group. It might well have come first in a chronological series, for it includes the very first works that might be called trio sonatas, the Sonata a tre of Giovanni Cima, published in 1610, and the Sonata a tre secuondo tono, from 1621.

BIS have come up with that seasonal rarity: the intelligent, considered and beautifully presented Christmas album. Emma Kirkby's pure tone, keen intelligence and utterly natural musicality need no introduction - she has, after all, been delighting us all for decades now. No admirer of either baroque music or Emma Kirkby will want to miss this impeccably programmed disc. The short Böddecker piece acts as a perfect warm-up. It is gentle and pure - the ideal vehicle for Kirkby's voice. Listening to the Cantatas of Alessandro Scarlatti takes us to another, altogether more exalted world.

Johann Pachelbel (1653-1706), was better-known as an organist than an important Baroque composer during his life time, though he was a prolific and influential composer. It is said that his organ chorales preludes and his fugues had an influence on Johann Sebastian Bach. Pachelbel held the position of organist in several churches and cathedrals in Austria and Germany. While most of his compositions were for the organ, he also wrote some chamber and vocal music.