Baroque music

A style of Western music written during the seventeenth century and the eighteenth century, between approximately 1600 and 1750.

A selection of articles about Baroque music

Spotlight. A Near Unforgettable Experience - Gerald Fenech praises Krijn Koetsveld and Le Nuove Musiche for their new Monteverdi recording. '... breathtaking precision and technical proficiency that are simply stunning.'

Ensemble. A Fascinating Mix - Mike Wheeler listens to a joint concert by Derby Cathedral Choir and Sinfonia Viva

Spotlight. Vitality and Freshness - Gerald Fenech is delighted by Bojan Čičić and Steven Devine's recording of Handel's violin sonatas. '... infectious warmth and extraordinary dexterity ...'

Ensemble. An Outstanding Choice - Ron Bierman is impressed by J S Bach, Barber and Haydn, played by the San Diego Symphony Orchestra led by veteran Dutch conductor Edo de Waart

Spotlight. Most Satisfying - Geoff Pearce highly recommends Andrius Puskunigis' recording of Handel oboe concertos. 'This disc is one of the finest I have heard of an oboist playing Baroque music on a modern instrument.'

Ensemble. A Marvelous Concert in an Exceptional Setting - Ron Bierman reports on Mozart from the San Diego Symphony and Raphael Payare

Ensemble. A Unique Sense of Bravado and Fun - Roderic Dunnett reviews Purcell's 'The Fairy Queen' at Longborough Festival Opera

Classical music news. Homo Sentiens - A veteran British conductor steps down from forthcoming performances, and the Polish festival Wratislavia Cantans embraces Mother Nature

Ensemble. Not To Be Missed - Giuseppe Pennisi reports from a performance of Vivaldi's pastiche 'Tamerlano'

Ensemble. Baroque Music in Siena - Giuseppe Pennisi returns for the last weekend of the Chigiana International Festival and Music Academy

Ensemble. Polish Style in the Gardens of Rome - Giuseppe Pennisi listens to sixteenth and seventeenth century Polish Baroque music

CD Spotlight. Sorrowful Magnificence - Gerald Fenech is impressed by Johann David Heinichen's Passion Oratorios. '... engrossing performances that are as gripping as they are reverential.'

CD Spotlight. Truly Gripping, Attractive and Alluring - Johann Mattheson's oratorio 'Joseph', highly commended by Roderic Dunnett. '... an outstanding performance in every way, and indeed a perfect introduction to Mattheson's fresh and vital writing ...'

CD Spotlight. Much to Enjoy - Violin concertos by Vivaldi, Locatelli and Leclair senior delight Gerald Fenech. 'Théotime Langlois de Swarte despatches these pieces with glorious dexterity, and the freshness of his playing is so engaging that you never tire of listening.'

CD Spotlight. An Operatic Oratorio - Attilio Ariosti's 'La Profezia d'Eliseo', recommended by Giuseppe Pennisi. 'The rendering is very good: ensemble and singers are Baroque specialists.'

CD Spotlight. A Young Saxon's Occasional Opera - Giuseppe Pennisi listens to 'Enea in Caonia' by Hasse. 'Stefano Montanari conducts ... skilfully, mostly in support of the voices.'

CD Spotlight. Modelled on Bach - Krebs' harpsichord music, heard by Gerald Fenech. '... brimming with colour, energy and rhythmic beauty ...'

Ensemble. Everything you know is wrong! - Mike Wheeler listens to The Sixteen in Derby

CD Spotlight. A Prodigious Compositional Career - Gerald Fenech listens to music by French baroque composer Joseph Bodin de Boismortier. 'The Neumeyer Consort's performances display a mastery of Boismortier's language that is just astonishing ...'

CD Spotlight. Recommended by Mozart - Georg Anton Benda's melodrama 'Medea', reviewed by Gerald Fenech. 'Katharina Thalbach is overwhelmingly effective as the narrator, while Marcus Bosch's conducting is intensely committed, capturing all the seething complexities of love, betrayal and revenge, grappling in Medea's heart and mind, with electrifying exuberance.'

CD Spotlight. One of Rameau's Greatest Works - The opera 'Dardanus' impresses Gerald Fenech. 'György Vashegyi paces his forces with meticulous mastery, and his thorough knowledge of the score enables him to bring to the listener all the felicitous nuances of this imaginative music.'

CD Spotlight. Natural Talents - Gerald Fenech listens to Easter cantatas by Baroque German composer Christoph Graupner. 'Christian Bonath and his team give these baroque choral gems the ideal exposure, and reveal them to be the masterpieces they truly are in performances of inspirational nobility and incomparable beauty.'

CD Spotlight. Miniature Gems - Gerald Fenech listens to music by two neglected Italian Baroque composers - Alessandro Stradella and Giovanni Lorenzo Gregori. '... precise yet stylish playing ...'

CD Spotlight. The Sweetness of Life - Music by French baroque composer Michel-Richard de Lalande, heard by Giuseppe Pennisi. 'The instrumental ensemble, playing period instruments or a violin manufactured in 2011 but after period specifications, is excellent.'

CD Spotlight. Christmas Night - Seventeenth and eighteenth century Italian festive music, strongly recommended by Gerald Fenech. 'This is a compilation full of craft and ingenuity ...'

CD Spotlight. Strangely Less Familiar - Telemann Christmas Cantatas, warmly recommended by Gerald Fenech. 'There is no doubt that Willens and his team believe wholeheartedly in Telemann's work, and these pieces are perfectly executed by all involved.'

Classical music news - November 2020 Obituaries - Our summary of those the classical music world has lost this month

Ensemble. Nicely Varied - Peter Siepmann plays Johann Sebastian Bach, Maurice Duruflé and César Franck on the Compton organ at Derby Cathedral, heard by Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. It Pays to be Brave - George Frideric Handel's 'Rinaldo' in Florence, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Absolute Purity of Tone - American mezzo Joyce DiDonato's Met Stars Live recital from Germany, reviewed by Maria Nockin

Ensemble. Siena Wins a Heroic Bet - Giuseppe Pennisi attends the opening performance of the completely re-designed Chigiana International Festival and Summer Academy

Ensemble. A Miracle in Ravenna - Giuseppe Pennisi reports from a modified Ravenna Festival

CD Spotlight. Great Character - Lucas Ball listens to Riccardo Minasi's interpretations of late Mozart symphonies. 'Minasi's control is great here.'

CD Spotlight. Something of a Marvel - Lucas Ball listens to J S Bach, Caroline Shaw and Robert Schumann, played by Amy Yang. '... Yang's delivery can be wild and exciting and even irritable but also depressing, lonely and longing.'

Classical music news. Darya Dadvar - The Iranian opera singer is to appear in Los Angeles on 8 March 2020

Portraits. Jakub Józef Orliński - Anett Fodor writes about the Polish counter tenor and his latest album

Classical music news. Obituary - Jaap Schröder (1925-2020)

Ensemble. Pearls on the Thread of Recitative - David Mitchell reviews Pinchgut Opera's production of Vivaldi's 'Farnace'

CD Spotlight. Judged to Perfection - Baroque oboe sonatas played by Xenia Löffler, strongly recommended by Geoff Pearce. '... played very pleasingly with great style and panache by all instruments concerned.'

CD Spotlight. Handel and the Roman Baroque School - Giuseppe Pennisi listens to Lorenzo Tozzi's Romabarocca Ensemble. '... a precious CD from which to learn little known aspects of baroque music ...'

Ensemble. He'll Be Back - Fabien Gabel conducts the Hallé Orchestra, impressing Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. Don Giovanni's Forefather - Giuseppe Pennisi writes about a performance of 'L'empio punito' by Alessandro Melani

CD Spotlight. A Stupendous Disc - Roderic Dunnett listens to countertenor duets by Purcell and Blow. 'The music is sensationally beautiful and touching - and so are the performances.'

Ensemble. Blaringly Unusual - Maria Nockin listens to Pittance Chamber Music's opening concert

Profile. Only the Screen - Ona Jarmalavičiūtė talks to the Belgian singer and conductor Tore Tom Denys

Ensemble. Breathless Excitement - In the last of his reports from the 2019 Buxton Festival, Mike Wheeler listens to music by Jean-Féry Rebel, Telemann, Marco Ucellini, J S Bach, and an improvisation on 'La Folìa', played by Improviso

Ensemble. Airborne Twice - Giuseppe Pennisi attends a cello and piano recital unexpectedly

Ensemble. Baroque Oratorios in Rome - Giuseppe Pennisi listens to selections of music by Alessandro Scarlatti, Bernado Pasquini and George Frideric Handel

Classical music news. Olympic Voices - A new competition for baroque voices will be held in Vicenza, Italy, from 1-7 November 2019

Ensemble. Easter Mozart - Ton Koopman conducts the Mass in C and the Jupiter Symphony, heard by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ask Alice - Aspects of Baroque, with Angela East, Pinchas Zukerman and classical music agony aunt Alice McVeigh

Ensemble. Wonderfully Unusual - Vivica Genaux and Europa Galante, heard by Maria Nockin

CD Spotlight. Great Character - German Baroque from the Hanoverian Ensemble, heard by Gerald Fenech. '... another treasure trove of wonderful music ...'

Ensemble. Great Success - Willian Christie's 'The Enchanted Island', reviewed by Gregory Moomjy

Profile. Humanizing Emotions - American conductor James Conlon talks to Maria Nockin

CD Spotlight. Shaken and Stirred - Maurice Steger plays Giuseppe Sammartini, recommended by Jennifer Paull

CD Spotlight. Vocal Artistry - Vivica Genaux sings Handel and Hasse, enjoyed by Maria Nockin. '... a wonderful trip back in time ...'