Jean-Joseph Mouret’s comic ‘Les fêtes de Thalie,’ an opera-ballet, was a hit in early 18th-c. Paris. Now the period-instrument Opera Lafayette, conducted by Christophe Rousset, is set to give its modern premiere, with a production that’s contemporary (and maybe a little zany) in look and choreography.
A Modern Mouret from Opera Lafayette Read More »
Brooklyn-based Alkemie’s latest recording, devoted to music from the 13th-century trouvères of Northern France, draws as much on contemporary folk and Celtic styles as Medieval historical performance practice. At turns extravagant or yearning, this is music of celebratory zeal as well as poetic musing.
Trouvère Songs of Love and Loss Read More »
The Bay Area’s Cantata Collective continue its acclaimed Bach series with his greatest large-scale work, the B-minor Mass. Beautifully paced by Nicholas McGegan, this ‘live’ recording features outstanding vocal and instrumental soloists. At its best, the chorus ‘shines in their expressive use of color and shading,’ thanks to McGegan’s ‘careful balancing and phrasing.’
Cantata Collective’s B-minor Mass Read More »
Dorothea Link’s book, ‘The Italian Opera Singer in Mozart’s Vienna’ proves to be entertaining and eye-opening, providing a valuable insights into the Viennese opera milieu.
Inside the Italians Singing in Mozart’s Vienna Read More »
Julia Dokter is a musicologist and organist who ‘messes around’ with art. In a personal essay, she walks us through several of her re-imagined Medieval illuminations. Hand-drawing and painting these images, she writes, ‘allows me to learn different things about [early music] than I would by researching and analyzing them in the usual academic ways.’
Dragons! Gold! Medieval Art and its Music Read More »
