Plagiarism Detector

Tango is currently en vogue, the spirit of the time. Almost everyone hears it, and many play it. Sometimes they add the word "Nuevo", add a dash of jazz, like to mix in the sweet brew of pop in their recipe to spice it up a bit and make it "palatable" for a broad range of tastes in music. Why is that? Because the tango in its original, pure form with all its dark facets, all its melancholy and dreariness might not be so popular anymore?

The Laterna Magica ensemble, involved in discovering the rich potential of Baroque chamber music, continues in this chapter the intentions of one of the greatest composers of the Baroque opera, offering original arrangements of the famous Handel arias, adapted for two recorders and basso continuo. A frequent practice among contemporary composers was to develop matter from existing works: Handel, more than Bach, draws inspiration from his own repertoire, plagiarism, unscrupulous, topics or entire passages, without making major changes to give new life to earlier compositions, perfectly matching them in a new appearance, without any stylistic disorder.

An album made for a joyful summer day full of bright colours and positivity, radiating the zest of life. “Papillon” slides through the world of Lounge Couture without even touching the banality of plagiarism and clichés. Stylistically versatile with a pinch of Swing & Jazz, a sprinkle of Latin and a garnish of Groove and even Deep House, Roland Voss manages to keep the balance between rhythmic, uplifting tracks and cinematic moods of Chillout & Ambient pieces for daydreaming and relaxation. Follow trustfully the Lemongrass guidance, you will remain poised and fascinated throughout.

The name of Georg Kreisler is not much known in English-speaking countries, but his death in 2011 occasioned considerable notice in his native Austria. Of Jewish background, Kreisler fled Vienna in 1938 for the U.S., where he served in the army fighting his former homeland. He wrote songs in English, one of which, Please, Shoot Your Wife, is recorded here. That song was rejected by American publishers, however, and Kreisler returned to Europe and eventually to Vienna. He has been compared to Tom Lehrer, and indeed several of his songs, notably Tauben vergiften im Park (Poisoning Pigeons in the Park) are close enough to Lehrer's to have inspired charges (and counter-charges) of plagiarism. Actually his range was greater than Lehrer's, and he was more prolific, even if he lacked the deadly satirical accuracy.

The legacy of the celebrity castrato Senesino has endured for centuries. He is known to us today primarily as Handel’s leading man for 13 seasons in London, and he was recognised the world over for his moving dramatic interpretations, fiery singing, and singular, over-the-top divo personality. Yet, Handel’s music for Senesino only shows us a fraction of the numerous virtuosic roles written for the castrato. Here, for the first time, are arias by seven overlooked composers who also wrote showpieces for the (in)famous Senesino. All but one of the arias on this album are modern-day premieres and heard together, they illuminate the talents of an 18th-century operatic icon.