I direct the early music group Passamezzo, an established ensemble known for their ability to bring historical events to life through their engaging performances and programming. We specialize in English Elizabethan and Jacobean repertoire. 2020 marks the 400th anniversary of the sailing of the Mayflower, and so it seems appropriate to record a CD of music to celebrate… Read on
Armonia Celeste is a US-based Early music ensemble of three women’s voices and plucked-string period instruments. They specialise in Italian music of the late Renaissance and early Baroque – so as soon as I could I purchased their 2015 album Udite, amanti: Music from Seventeenth-Century Barberini Courts which contains eighteen tracks of excellent music. I knew about them from their Twitter page. (This social… Read on
Australian-American lyric soprano Danielle de Niese is a name that has been cropping up for several years now on the Early Music scene. About a decade ago or so, Baroque music was quite a niche type of music, but I have noticed a growing trend that seems to indicate it is becoming more mainstream. Even though it was… Read on
Last night, I went to a live performance of St. Matthew’s Passion by Johann Sebastian Bach at St. Paul’s Cathedral with Laura Brennan. I have only ever heard two pieces from this work, and it was a great pleasure to listen to it in its entirety in such a beautiful and historic cathedral. Bach, who is relevant to… Read on
It is with great honour that I welcome our last Guest Post of the month – this by harpsichordist Christopher Bucknall of the Academy of Ancient Music. I have long been a fan of theirs, and I was more thrilled than I can say when they agreed to contribute. Please welcome Christopher and the AAM to The Seventeenth… Read on
Today The Seventeenth Century Lady is honoured to have a guest post from the artistic director of Magnificat Baroque. This popular ensemble can be found via their website, Twitter @MagBaroque, and Facebook. Warren wonderfully writes about Chiara Margarita Cozzolani – a remarkable, yet sadly overlooked composer of Baroque music, and Magnificat Baroque’s Concerti Sacri (which is absolutely gorgeous!). A Clear… Read on
Sunday Baroque is a gem of a radio programme in the United States. This show has a very special place in my heart; in fact, it was Sunday Baroque that first made me fall in love with Baroque music. I’m 27, and Sunday Baroque is now entering its twenty-seventh year as well. I remember the first time I… Read on
Justin Bieber is phenomenally popular at the moment, with teenaged girls like my niece going bananas for him. Now, I do not listen to mainstream pop music, as it’s just not right for me (because, let’s face it, people are mostly singing about clubbing, and I’ve never gone to a nightclub, or other things I don’t do). During… Read on
Famous female Baroque composers are so rare that this post is of particular importance. Élisabeth Jacquet, French musical prodigy who sang, played harpsichord, organ, and composed beautiful pieces of Baroque, was born on the 17th of March, 1665, in Paris, France, to a musical family. You probably haven’t heard about Élisabeth, but she was such an extraordinary individual,… Read on
Georg Philipp Telemann, German Baroque composer, was born on the 14th of March, 1681. He was a godfather to Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, son of fellow German Baroque composer, Johann Sebastian Bach. Musique de table: Tafelmusik in d-minor for flutes and continuo: Whilst his work flourished, his personal life was painful. His first wife died only a short time… Read on
Born in the beautiful city of Rome around 1550, Emilio de’ Cavalieri became a relatively popular composer of the Late Renaissance/Early Baroque genre. Cavalieri died on the 11th of March, 1602. I don’t have much more information about him, so…on to the music! Music Recommendations: I have the following album, which I enjoy listening to regularly: [amazon asin=B00005J7UX&template=image&chan=default][amazon asin=B0006FNF3I&template=image&chan=default]
Antonio Vivaldi is one of the main composers one automatically thinks of when the word “Baroque” is used. He was extremely talented and prolific, yet most people only know of his Four Seasons, and I would like to take the time to correct this. For whilst The Four Seasons concertos have memorable melodies full of the extravagant beauty of… Read on
John Dowland, popular composer of the Late Renaissance, was buried on this day 20th of February, 1620, at St Ann’s, Blackfriars, London (which was destroyed in the Great Fire of London, 1666, and never rebuilt). He was probably born in 1563, and historians are not very certain of his place of birth nor where his kin came from… Read on
One of the giants of Italian Baroque, Arcangelo Corelli’s music is a masterful example of this musical style. Born a posthumous son on the 17th of February, 1653, in Fusignano, he is therefore today’s Baroque Birthday Boy! Corelli worked hard and was accepted into Bologna’s much-esteemed Accademica Filarmonica (Source: Tafelmusik) which had been founded in 1666. With his great dedication to… Read on
Johann Joseph Fux (pronounced “Fyooks” !) was an Austrian composer of Baroque music, born in the Austrian duchy of Styria, in 1660. Fux was employed by royal patrons including Holy Roman Emperors Leopold I, Joseph I, and Charles VI. Here is Fux’s Overture in D minor: Next are Sonata K.366, Sonata K.375, Sonata K.377: His “Missa Corporis Christi:” Fux was not… Read on
Alessandro Melani was born on this day, the fourth of February, 1639, in Pistoia. He was born into a family of musicians and one of his brothers was a castrato singer. Castratos were increasingly popular as the Seventeenth Century went on, and they reached their zenith of popularity in the Eighteenth century. I quite like Melani’s music, as… Read on
Johann Georg Pisendel, German Baroque composer/musician, was born on this day 26 December, 1687, and so that makes him today’s Baroque Birthday Boy! Born close to Nuremburg, Germany, Pisendel was born into an already musical family (which always helps) and he grew to become an exceptionally accomplished violinist and composer. He met and worked with some of the… Read on
Today’s Baroque Birthday Boy is Michel-Richard Delalande. Delalande has, over the years, become rather forgotten amongst his more popular contemporaries, which included the flamboyant Jean-Baptiste Lully and François Couperin. Delalande was famous in his day for writing exquisite grands motets (sacred music), popular with the Sun King, Louis XIV. Read more about him here. Here is Delalande’s “Confitebor tibi… Read on
Francesco Saverio Geminiani, Italian Baroque composer, was born on this day the 5th of December, 1687. This makes him today’s second Baroque Birthday Boy! Geminiani was a talented youth who excelled at the violin and was tutored by two great Baroque composers, Alessandro Scarlatti (who, funnily enough, was related to yet another Baroque composer born on this day… Read on
Today’s Baroque Birthday Boy is Giuseppe de Majo. De Majo was born on this day the 5th of December, 1697. Giuseppe was born in Napoli, Italia. Let’s hear some of his music, shall we? This piece is called, “Four Arias of Stuppolo / Cappella della Pietà de’ Turchini:” The next two piece are entitled, “Concerto for flute, strings &… Read on
André Campra, French Baroque composer of Franco-Italian parentage, was baptised on this day 4 December, 1660. In the midst of Seventeenth Century French Baroque goliaths such as Jean-Baptiste Lully, Marc-Antoine Charpentier, Marin Marais, and others, André Campra seems to have been lost in the mix, especially when Jean-Philippe Rameau appeared on the scene. Campra shocked people when he introduced violins into… Read on
Today is a tragic day for lovers of the Baroque. Jeremiah Clarke, Baroque composer & organist at the Chapel Royal, committed suicide on this day 1 December, 1707, by shooting himself in the head. Born around 1674 and having been tutored under great Baroque composer John Blow and having obtained the distinguished role of being the first organist at… Read on