Music of the Crusades - Songs of Love and War

19 tracks - MP3 192 Kbps - RAR 94 Mb

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This CD (a reissue of an LP dating from the 1970s) brings the Crusades and its people to life. There are recruiting songs, songs of loss and longing, songs of dedication. There is a beautiful song full of reverent wonder at the experience of being in the Holy Land. And there is the song purportedly written by Richard the Lionhearted while imprisoned. (Amazon review)

contents:


1. La Quinte estampie real
2. Pax in nomine domini!
3. Parti de mal
4. Chevalier, mult estes
5. Chanterai por mon corage
6. Danse real
7. Sade Syon, in pulvere
8. Palästinalied
9. Condicio - O Nacio - Mane Prima
10. O tocius Asie
11. La uitime estampie real
12. Cum sint difficilia
13. Li noviaus tens
14. Fortz chausa es que tot lo major dan
15. Je ne Puis - Amors me tienent - Veritatem
16. Ahi! Amours
17. La Tierche estampie real
18. Ja nus hons pris
19. Au tens plain de felonnie


Early Music Consort of London
dir. David Munrow

P.A.Cesti - Cantate

7 tracks - MP3 VBR - RAR 97 Mb

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Antonio Cesti was an important composer of the seventeenth century Italian Baroque, particularly in the field of opera. Born Pietro Cesti, he adopted the name Antonio when he joined the Franciscan order. He had already been a choir boy in Arezzo. Although details of his musical training are uncertain, it seems likely he studied with Abbatini, and possibly with Carissimi and Luigi Rossi. He joined the Franciscans in Volterra in 1637, was elected organist of the Cathedral there in 1643, and in 1645 was confirmed as master of music of the Volterra seminary and of the Cathedral.  (continue)

contents:


 1. Pria ch'adori
2. Amanti, io vi disfido
3. Lacrime mie
4. Mia tiranna
5. Orontea: Sinfonia avanti il prologo
6. Orontea: Atto I Sc. 11
7. Orontea: Atto II Sc. 1


Concerto Vocale

Judith Nelson (soprano)
René Jacobs (counter-tenor)
William Christie (harpsichord)
Konrad Junghänel (lute)
Jaap Ter Linden (violoncello)

dir. René Jacobs

G.F.Handel - Water Music, Fireworks...

2 CD - MP3 192 Kbps - RAR 228 Mb

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This is a fine Handel compilation that provides a nice overview of his orchestral music with brass instruments, as well as his only incidental score (music written to accompany the action of a play). Christopher Hogwood uses the arrangement that Handel made of the Fireworks Music for normal-sized forces, including strings, which were absent from the original. All the music is played with a fine sense of style, and a goodly bit of the "pomp and circumstance" that Handel above all others knew how to capture in music. --David Hurwitz

contents:


CD 1

Water Music Suite No.1 for orchestra in F major, HWV 348
Water Music Suite No.3 for orchestra in G major, HWV 350
Water Music Suite No.2 for orchestra in D major, HWV 349
Alchemist, incidental music, HWV 43

CD 2

Music for the Royal Fireworks, for orchestra, HWV 351
Concerto a due cori No.1 in B flat major, HWV 332
Concerto a due cori No.2 in F major, HWV 333
Concerto a due cori No.2 in F major, HWV 333
Aria No 1 for wind ensemble in F major, HWV 410
Aria No 2 for wind ensemble in F major, HWV 411 



The Academy of Ancient Music
dir. Christopher Hogwood

Corelli - Concerti Grossi Op.6

2 CD - MP3 192 Kbps - RAR 225 Mb

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Immensely popular during his time and maintaining their appeal today, Corelli's 12 Concerti Grossi, Op. 6, are among the gold standard for the form. They are divided into two sections, one being six concerti da camera and the other being six concerti da chiesa. The informatively written liner notes for this Harmonia Mundi album describe the potentially immense orchestra (for the time) that Corelli may have employed for his performances; this recording, however, uses more modest numbers, taking into account the different needs for the "da Camera" and "da Chiesa" concerti. French-based Ensemble 415 (which takes its name from a common Baroque tuning frequency) is led by its founder, violinist Chiara Banchini. All of the planning and research that went into discovering the right number of musicians and the proportions between them pays off in this richly colorful, masterfully balanced performance. The double basses (five for chiesa, two for camera) provide a deep, powerful foundation upon which the rest of the strings, archlutes, and harpsichords weave a diverse blend of tone colors, textures, and dynamic layers. The precise, energetic playing by the concertino offers a nicely contrasting but not underpowered counterpoint to the more powerful full orchestra. Intonation, ornamentation, brilliantly divergent tempos, and articulation are all well thought out throughout the two-disc set. Harmonia Mundi's sound is detailed, warm, and crystal clear.

contents:


 
CD 1

Concerto da chiesa No. 1 in D major
Concerto da chiesa No. 2 in F major
Concerto da camera No. 9 in F major
Concerto da chiesa No. 3 in C minor
Concerto da camera No. 10 in C major
Concerto da chiesa No. 4 in D major

CD 2

Concerto da chiesa No. 5 in B flat major
Concerto da camera No. 11 in B flat major
Concerto da chiesa No. 6 in F major
Concerto da camera No. 12 in F major
Concerto da chiesa No. 7 in D major
Concerto da chiesa No. 8 in G minor


Ensemble 415
dir. Chiara Banchini

L'Europe Réunie

21 tracks - MP3 192 Kbps - RAR 128Mb


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contents:


Telemann: Wasser-Ouvertüre - Hamburger Ebb und Fluth, TWV 55:C3
Vivaldi: Concerto for 2 violins, 2 recorders, 2 oboes, bassoon & strings, RV 566
J.S.Bach: Concerto for harpsichord, 2 recorders, 2 violins, viola & b.c., BWV 1057
Van Wassenaer: Concerto armonico No. 5
Rebel: Fantaisie

Collegium Musicum Den Haag
dir. Claudio Ribeiro