Reviews by the editorial staff of Early Music America. Have a new recording or book? Submit it for consideration.
Marvelous Bach & Couperin from Les Délices
In this beautifully paced recital, Baroque oboist Debra Nagy and harpsichordist Mark Edwards create an equal partnership and explore familiar music by J.S. Bach and François Couperin, often in delightful arrangements.
Clément Janequin’s Vocal Adventures
Clément Janequin occupies a unique spot in early music, where several of his kaleidoscopic chansons — including 'Le Chant des oyseaux, and 'La Chasse' — are a hit among vocal ensembles. An agile, often humorous new book covers the range of Janequin's work and his times, aimed at reaching the performer as much as the scholar.
Elisabetta de Gambarini, Obscure No Longer
You might have come across the composer, singer, and harpsichordist Elisabetta de Gambarini (1731-1765) from music history books, but until now there's not been significant recordings of her work. Now Margherita Toretta, a pianist, has brought together all Gambarini's known keyboard pieces on one disc.
And the Winner is…John Weldon’s ‘The Judgment of Paris’
In early 18th-c. Britain, a competition to help promote opera in English led to a surprise winner. John Weldon's 'The Judgment of Paris,' recorded for the first time by the Academy of Ancient Music, boasts colorful orchestration, clever choral writing, and rapturous music.
Wild Fun: Scandinavian Art-Folk Early Music
Where's the boundary between 'folk' and 'art' when it comes to early music? Does it matter? Joyously muddled, The Curious Bards' latest recording, ‘Sublimation,’ is a 'trad' album with early-music nuance, an early-music album with folk energy.
Early Music’s Future? A New Book Asks and Answers
The 'early music' movement is at an artistic crossroads and the field seems to be pushed and pulled in many directions. In 'Music in the 21st Century,' an array of authors dissect the recent past and consider the future for historical performance. It's a stimulating collection of essays on topics familiar and unexpected.
Nevermind’s Goldbergs, a Garden of Musical Colors
In this imaginative and deeply satisfying new recording, the French period-instrument quartet named Nevermind finds the chamber music in Bach's Goldberg Variations. Surprisingly, harpsichordist Jean Rondeau and his three colleagues find truths in the music that are beyond the reach of the original.
Tempesta di Mare’s Fasch Fascination
The original voice of Johann Friedrich Fasch is finally reaching today's listeners, thanks to Philadelphia's Tempesta di Mare. The ensemble's latest recording, volume 4 in a series, offers modern-day premieres of Fasch's playful, bouncy, and dramatic music. Our reviewer writes: 'I find it impossible to tire of this joyous journey.'
Lucrezia Tells Her Own Story
Four exceptional singers, backed by the ensemble Les Paladins and keyboardist Jérôme Correas, offer four celebrated cantatas on the harrowing tale of Lucretia, covering her emotional states, from rage to sorrow to silence.
Espresso Shots with Apollo’s Fire
It's easy to speculate that J.S. Bach was tired of the daily grind as Cantor of the Thomasschule in Leipzig and found Zimmermann's Coffeehouse a space to refresh his creative drive. Jeannette Sorrell and Apollo's Fire scored a 2024 hit with their "Bach's Coffeehouse," debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard Classical charts, as they celebrated the fun and flair of music by Bach, Telemann, and Vivaldi — fit for café life.
