EarlyMusicNews.Org

“Fuoco e Cenere is exceptional not only in its choice of repertoire, which spirals from medieval times to our own century, but foremost in its desire to kindle passions and memories that outlast the concert experience. The interpretations of Fuoco e Cenere magnify image and expression of superb musical and poetic texts enabling them to shock the public by their beauty. …”

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Added on: Sep 30, 2011 | Hits: 138

“The ensemble “Les Timbres” sprung out of musical and human common understanding, and was created by three young musicians from varied backgrounds :

 Japanese violinist Yoko Kawakubo, fourth Prize in the International Competition of Baroque Violin of Rovereto in Italy (2007), a graduate of the University of Fine Arts of Tokyo - Japan - and from Odile Edouard's class at the National Conservatory of Lyon - France - (Master and DNSPM Très Bien à l’Unanimité avec les Félicitations du Jury);

French viola da gamba player Myriam Rignol who graduated from the National Conservatory of Lyon - France - (Marianne Muller's class) and the Musikhochschule of Köln - Germany - (Rainer Zipperling's class), and won the second Prize at the International Viola da Gamba Competition "Bach-Abel" (Köthen, Germany, 2009); the first Prize at the Yamanashi International Early Music Competition (Kôfu, Japan, 2010); as well as, the Second Prize and “Prix du Public” at the “Concours de Bruges” of 2011

Belgian harpsichordist Julien Wolfs, first Laureate of the International Competition of Harpsichord of Bruges -Belgium - in 2007 (Second Place ex-æquo and Public Audience Prize), who studied at the Upper Conservatory of Amsterdam - Netherlands - in Menno Van Delft's class and at the IMEP of Namur - Belgium - , where he was gained the highest honours for his Master of Music and his Master of Pedagogy.”

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Added on: Sep 30, 2011 | Hits: 231

“Founded in 1998 by Michael Brown, the Ensemble Baroque de Toulouse is the result of a long history of passion and friendship. This orchestra of professional musicians met around a common artistic project: the interpretation of early music, from Monteverdi to Haydn. According to the directory, it is joined by Baroque Choir of Toulouse as part of the adventure since its inception over ten years. …”

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Added on: Sep 30, 2011 | Hits: 306

“Formed in 2007, the Ensemble Méridien borns in Barcelona with the purpose of performing music from the XVII and XVIII centuries using contemporary tools from the XX century to bring early music closer.
The Ensemble Méridien consisted of young instumentalists with ample national and international orchestral experience and chamber music experience. After their studies in Spain, they increased their training in early music and improvisation as far as Belgium, Holland, France, Germany and Italy. Members of this ensemble also plays with groups
such as Orquestra Barroca Catalana, Forma Antiqva, Le Concert des Nations, The Rare Fruits Council, Café Zimmermann, Capella Mediterranea and other groups in early music.
They have received group lessons with professionals on early music such as: Eric Höbart, Lorenzo Coppola, Pablo Valetti and Manfredo Kraemer.
During its brief life, the Ensemble Méridien has played in several festivals and concert halls such as: “Setmana de Música Antiga” in Mataró, Auditori de la Mercè in Girona, Basílica de Montserrat, Fontana d’'Or and “Festival de música sacra” in Tenerife.
Recently it has been selected as a resident group in the Ambronay’s Festival 2011 and in the Antiqva's Festival Barcelona and the Utrecht's Fabulous Fringe .”

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Added on: Sep 30, 2011 | Hits: 206

“Founded in 2009 in Geneva by Pierre-Louis Rétat, harpsichordist and director, all Chioma d'Oro has chosen to explore the world of Baroque music through the relationship between text and music. “

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Added on: Sep 30, 2011 | Hits: 255

“Michel Laplénie founded Sagittarius in 1986, with a view to exploring new repertoire and sharing his musical enthusiasms. High artistic standards have brought the ensemble international renown and made it one of the foremost vocal groups in Baroque performance.

With their unquenchable curiosity, Sagittarius have taken part in several high profile opera productions (Handel's Alcina, Théâtre des Champs Elysées, Paris, 1990 - Lully's Phaëton, for the reopening of the Lyons opera house, 1993 - Campra's L'Europe Galante, Aix-en-Provence Festival, 1993 - Rameau's Hippolyte et Aricie, directed by Marc Minkowski, 1995, etc.). The ensemble has performed in Europe's most famous concerts halls as well as prestigious international festivals, often resurrecting forgotten musical treasures.

Sagittarius is an ensemble of soloists, and features 5 to 20 professional singers and instrumentalists, all of them established performers of the early repertoire. The focus is on European vocal music of the Baroque era, more specifically from 17th and 18th-century France and Germany, with a particular fondness for Heinrich Schütz, whose Latinized name Sagittarius it adopted. This wide repetoire has led to a large number of recordings, which have won acclaim for the sincerity and depth of their performances.

Sagittarius has been appointed Resident Ensemble at Blaye, near Bordeaux, and is supported by the Regional Department for Cultural Affairs, the Aquitaine Region, the Département of Gironde, the cities of Blaye and Bordeaux, as well as the Caisse des Dépôts for its school programmes.”

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Added on: Sep 30, 2011 | Hits: 284

“Created in 2005, Entheos, get its name after Plato's who is  thought to have influenced the Renaissance. Entheos means enthusiasm, the force that leads a man to discover, create and share. This is the origin of the abundance of artistic and intellectual renaissance that Ensemble has chosen to relive through concerts and shows.”

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Added on: Sep 30, 2011 | Hits: 229

Early music ensemble.

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Added on: Sep 30, 2011 | Hits: 470

“In mythology, La Fenice - the Phoenix - is a fabulous bird, which was celebrated for consuming itself in flame then rising from its ashes. La Fenice is used here as a symbol of the influence of Italian music in Baroque Europe. It was also the title of a work by Giovanni Martino Cesare, an Italian composer and cornett player who moved north of the Alps in the early 17th century. Today this name has been adopted by a group of musicians, whose common desire is to share their passion for the sumptuous Venetian music of that time and bring out all its extraordinary vitality.

The ensemble's repertoire nevertheless includes works by composers from all over Europe and covers more than two centuries of music; indeed, the cornett was commonly used in the early 16th century by Josquin Desprez and his contemporaries and it was still in use at J.S. Bach's time and Bach himself included it in several of his cantatas.

The cornett can be found alongside the voice in sacred music throughout the Baroque period; it is mentioned in the registers of the Royal Chapel at Versailles until 1733. As for the sound it produces, Mersenne, tells us in his Harmonie universelle (Paris, 1636) that « it is like a sunbeam shining through the shadows or through the darkness when it is heard among the voices in churches, cathedrals or chapels... “

Anxious to respect the original instrumentation, particularly in vocal music, where the instruments shed light on the text through their symbolical import, the ensemble adapts to fit in with each programmes it performs. Coming from all over Europe, the Ensemble’s musicians are all internationally renowned soloists, playing with the best Early music ensembles in the world.

Just after its establishment, the Ensemble La Fenice has won the first prize in two international competitions (Bruges, 1990 and Malmö, 1992). Since then, it has played in the most important festivals in France, Europe and all over the world. La Fenice’s recordings - Opus 111, Virgin Classics, Ricercar - are regularly awarded the most prestigious distinctions (Choc Monde de la Musique, Diapason d'Or, 10/10. Répertoire, 5 Etoiles. Goldberg…).”

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Added on: Sep 30, 2011 | Hits: 190

“French vocal ensemble founded in 1977, A Sei Voci has set itself the aim to discover or rediscover scores - often un-edited - of composers of the Renaissance, Italian Baroque and contemporary vocal music. …“

Added on: Sep 30, 2011 | Hits: 192

“Taking its name to the hero of the Astrée of Honoré d'Urfé, Ensemble Celadon was founded in 1999 on the initiative of tenor Paulin Bündgen to explore the repertoire for the alto voice.

Based in Lyon, Celadon is made up of musicians specializing in music performance called "old" Medieval, Renaissance and Baroque, …“

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Added on: Sep 30, 2011 | Hits: 241

“ … The Ensemble l’Échelle declares itself partisan of certain Renaissance music, for the profoundly humanist ideas which it expresses. The chamber musicians who make it up seek to pool their musical talent in the search for an appropriate historic verisimilitude. …”

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Added on: Sep 30, 2011 | Hits: 180

“In choosing the name Akadêmia, Françoise Laserre gave her approach to music deep roots in a consciously humanistic tradition, inherited from the Platonic garden and the Italian Renaissance. ...

Finally, Akadêmia has an ongoing commitment to the discovery and nurturing of young vocal and instrumental talents through the organisation of professional training programmes which culminiate in a series of concerts.”

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Added on: Sep 30, 2011 | Hits: 207

“Ensemble Il Ballo was founded in 2002. It is dedicated to interpreting the music of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, with a particular interest in Renaissance music and Italian music of the early seventeenth century.”

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Added on: Sep 30, 2011 | Hits: 196

“Demus group Ensemble, is named after the treatise 'De musica' de San Agustin, part of his philosophical dialogues written during the fourth century. It is a dialogue of Neoplatonic inspiration had much impact on Renaissance composers. …

Created in 2009 by its director, Maria Angeles Zapata, has highly experienced musicians, each with an interesting career in the field of early music, and also in the interpretation of other styles and eras. …“

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Added on: Oct 01, 2011 | Hits: 342

“Essencia Qvinta aware of the crucial role of Spanish polyphony in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, takes as its main objective the revaluation of this repertoire. …“

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Added on: Oct 01, 2011 | Hits: 180

“Convinced that a country’s cultural roots and traditions always have a decisive influence on the expression of its musical language, in 1987 Jordi Savall and Montserrat Figueras founded La Capella Reial, one of the first vocal ensembles devoted to the interpretation of Hispanic Golden Age music according to historical principles and consisting exclusively of Hispanic and Latin voices.

Following the model of the famous “royal chapels” for which the great masterpieces of both religious and secular music were composed in the Iberian peninsula, this new “Capella Reial”, which in 1990 took the name of Capella Reial de Catalunya, was born as the result of more than 13 years of research and interpretation in the field of early music. Together with Hespèrion XX (founded in 1974), its main objective is to extend and deepen the fields of research into the specific characteristics of the Hispanic and European polyphonic vocal legacy before 1800. The hallmark of this ensemble is its approach to performance, which balances meticulous vocal sound quality and appropriateness to the style of the period with expressive diction and projection of the poetic text, always striving above all to convey the spiritual and artistic dimension peculiar to each individual work. Under the direction of Jordi Savall, it has an intense schedule of concert performances and recordings and regularly takes part in the principal music festivals around the world. …”

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Added on: Oct 03, 2011 | Hits: 291

“United by a common goal – the study and interpretation of ancient music according to new, modern criteria – and fascinated by the immense richness of the Hispanic and European musical repertoire before 1800, in 1974 Jordi Savall, Montserrat Figueras, Lorenzo Alpert and Hopkinson Smith founded the ensemble Hespèrion XX. In its thirty years of existence, the group has, in collaboration with other outstanding performers, rescued numerous works and programmes from oblivion, thus contributing to a major reappraisal of the fundamental aspects of the Mediaeval, Renaissance and baroque repertoires. From the moment it was created, Hespèrion XX has carried out an intense schedule of concert performances and regularly appears at the main international music festivals. …”

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Added on: Oct 03, 2011 | Hits: 233

“La Compañia formed in 1997 to perform music of the renaissance and early baroque. Directed by Danny Lucin, the ensemble brings together Australia's leading specialists on period instruments, creating a consort rich in possibilities.

A line up of historically important instruments, including; cornetto, sackbuts, dulcian, shawm, viola da gamba, lute and percussion, allows for exciting sound combinations reflecting the various instrumental groupings of the period. The group follows the sixteenth century performance practice of ornamentation, diminution and embellishment. Their vibrant musicianship combined with their improvisatory skills has established La Compañia's reputation with both audiences and critics for presenting innovative programs and dynamic performances.

La Compañia's credits include concert performances, major Australian arts festivals, international feature films, television appearances, live radio broadcasts, Musica Viva CountryWide, CD recordings including El fuego on ABC Classics and their current subscription series at Melbourne Recital Centre.

Director Danny Lucin

Musicians
Danny Lucin:  cornetto & mute cornetto
Mitchell Cross:  shawm & tenor dulcian
Glenn Bardwell:  sackbut
Bob Collins:  sackbut
Julian Bain:  sackbut
Brock Imison:  alto and bass dulcian
Simon Rickard:  bass dulcian
Rachael Beesley:  baroque violin
Lizzie Pogson:  baroque violin
Victoria Watts:  viola da gamba
Laura Vaughan:  viola da gamba
Rosemary Hodgson:  vihuela, guitar, lute & theorbo
Linda Kent:  chamber organ & harpsichord
Christine Baker:  percussion
Denis Close:  percussion”

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Added on: Oct 10, 2011 | Hits: 245

“Founded in 1997 in Toulouse, the chamber choir elements, led by its founder Joel Suhubiette. The choir performs regularly on the French stages and has also been invited to Canada, the United States, Lebanon, Egypt, Spain, Germany, Italy, Greece, Great Britain, Switzerland and the Netherlands .  ” (transl.)

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Tags: Catherine Kauffmann-Saint-Martin

Added on: Oct 10, 2011 | Hits: 237

“Guido Morini and Marco Beasley founded Accordone in 1984, motivated by a great passion for the music before Bach, for original instruments and for a new musicological approach to problems of interpretation. At the heart of their work is Italian music for voice and basso continuo from the 16th and 17th centuries. The voice of Marco Beasley, immediately recognizable for its beautiful timbre, in perfect stylistic balance with the instruments which accompany him, is the ideal companion for the profound knowledge of instrumental, improvisational and compositional questions cultivated by Guido Morini, and make Accordone a unique ensemble on the European scene.”

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Added on: Oct 14, 2011 | Hits: 277

“Amarillis is now one of Europe's most original Baroque ensembles. The ensemble is well known for its fine sound and excellent instrumental technique. Audiences are always delighted with the ensemble's concerts, which are regularly acclaimed by the national and international press. The group, counselled by Pierre Hantaï, Christophe Rousset and Christophe Coin, has won several competitions : first prize in the York Early Music Competition in 1995, first prize in the FNAPEC 'Musique d'Ensemble' Competition in April 1997, and first prize and the public prize in the Sinfonia Competition (chaired by Gustav Leonhardt) in September 1997. In 1999 the trio was distinguished by the 'Révélations classiques' (Adami).

According to the requirements of the repertoire, the basic nucleus is joined by musicians of recognised talent. Amarillis works regularly with the finest singers of the younger generation, including Patricia Petibon, Sandrine Piau, Stéphanie d'Oustrac, Raffaella Milanesi, Valérie Gabail, Robert Getchell, Arnaud Marzorati, Emiliano Gonzalez-Toro…  “

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Added on: Nov 13, 2011 | Hits: 233

“… Ensemble Les Musiciens de Saint-Julien explores with the same curiosity of little-known music, such as airs de cour (Et la fleur vole), the former Scottish music (For ever Fortune), brunettes (À l’ombre d’un ormeau) and pages of "grand repertoire "(Lully, Charpentier, Bach, Telemann) in search of natural musical phrasing, instrumental color and spirit of the dance. …”

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Added on: Nov 13, 2011 | Hits: 162

“In 2000, some brilliant instrumentalists French decide to give substance to their spirit of innovation, and create Les Folies Francoise. This group’s mission, led by violinist Patrick Cohën-Akenine, is to revisit the baroque of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, in the spirit of freedom, diversity and creativity that inspired the musicians of the Grand Siècle.”

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Added on: Nov 13, 2011 | Hits: 206

“Accademia del Piacere was founded in 2004. His organicum varies from the trio to the small chamber orchestra. Accademia del Piacere is presented as one of the young Andalusian groups with more presence on the international scene of early music. Its members, who combine the strength of youth and the wisdom of experience, have performed at festivals and theatres worldwide. Accademia del Piacere has performed at prestigious events such as the National Auditorium of Spain, Luxembourg Grand Theater, Festival of Ravello (Italy), FEMAS (Sevilla), Festival Las Piedras Cantan, Radovlijka Festival (Slovenia), Early Music Festival of Peñíscola, Early Music Festival Aracena, Cantatas Cycle of Johann Sebastian Bach (Madrid), Festival Camino de Santiago, Early Music Festival in Malaga, Spanish Music Festival in Cadiz, Early Music Festival of Úbeda and Baeza, Cultural Almeria 2006, Teatro Villamarta ... Their concerts are usually transmitted by the most prestigious media such as Radio Clásica, of RNE”

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Added on: Nov 13, 2011 | Hits: 189