Vivaldi - Winter

It's winter.....brrrr!

Fall?....already?....

Summer heat.....hot and sticky!

I'm a bit late with this clip. I had intended to post it on the Summer Solstice but I forgot. Considering how hot it is this past week, I can attest to the fact that summer is indeed here!

Arion Orchestra....one of North America's very best!

Although I adore Toronto's "Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra", I regard "Arion" as just one step better and they truly shine in their recordings on the "Atma" and "Early-music.com" labels. This is music making on the very highest level. They have recorded Vivaldi, Telemann, Rebel, Bach....etc. Recently at the "Tafelmusik Baroque Summer Institute's" third concert held at the University of Toronto, I had a chance to speak with the "First Lady" of the transverse flute: Claire Guimond. She was an instructor during the two week event, teaching the transverse to students who are graduates of their instrument(flute). What an amazing and elegant lady and performer. She could have charmed the pants off of me. I have heard her play live and in recording....I adore her! She is also a member of "Arion", a Montreal based period orchestra that personally I consider North America's finest period ensemble! In the beginning of the video clip, Claire is narrating and wearing headphones. She is a wonderful performer and human being, She has no greater fan that myself!

Please click on my site under Institutions I follow: "early-music.com" to find out about Arion and the recordings that I heartily recommend! Vive Arion! Bravo Claire Guimond!

Another Bach?.....Wilhelm Friedemann, naturally!

Shameful isn't that I don't know much about WF Bach, but his music is very intriguing and inviting! It is performed by the "Akademie fuer Alte Musik, Berlin" which is one of my favourite groups.

Discover and enjoy!

French Baroque fireworks

Rameau's music never fails to excite me as he was an orchestrator who was ahead of his time. There are things he wrote in his operas that we would not see again until the emergence of the Romantic Period especially in the person of Hector Berlioz!

Tafelmusik performs Israel in Egypt to start the Summer Festival

This video clip shows the Toronto based baroque orchestra "The Aradia Ensemble" recording this glorious masterpiece for the Naxos label. Some of Tafelmusik's musicians also perform in this orchestra. To begin the Tafelmusik Baroque Summer Festival, as it is now named, the Orchestra and Choir performed three concertos by Vivaldi, two songs by Purcell, a selection from Bach's Mass in b(which will be performed next February in it's entirety) and selections from Handel's "Israel in Egypt". Glorious.....absolutely Glorious!

Tafelmusik Baroque Summer Institute's first concert is tonight!

The first concert of the Tafelmusik Baroque Summer Institute opens tonight with a FREE concert at the Trinity-St Paul Centre located on Bloor Street West, just west of the Spadina Subway station. The Orchestra and Choir will perform Bach, Vivaldi, Handel and Purcell to their usual high level of excellence. This will be the fourth year that I have been going to see them and the first concert has always been the best and the greatest concert offered by this orchestra throughout the whole year. They really pull out the stops!

Come one....come all for the experience of a lifetime!

Zelenka for a Sunday evening

Interesting music from a sadly neglected Baroque composer. Zelenka is rarely recorded but has been performed here in Toronto by "I Furiosi Baroque Ensemble" and "Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra". As you can hear, this is music that should be better known!

DISCOVER AND ENJOY!

The other Rebel

Get a load of this! Isn't Rebel's imagination out of this world! There is a recording on the "early-music.com" label recorded by the "Arion Baroque Orchestra" from Montreal of music by Jean-Fery Rebel.......truly excellent recording and orchestra! Actually any recording by "Arion" is mind boggling! They have done magnificent recordings of Telemann and Vivaldi. A MUST HEAR!

Rebel.....American baroque masters!

I have heard two of their CD's and without a doubt they really know their stuff! They did an album called "Telemann alla Polacca"(Dorian CD) which was absolutely out of this world! That much sound out of so few musicians! EXCELLENT!

Glorious, isn't it....I have my first follower

Vivaldi in Moscow

Telemann in Moscow

A Russian early music orchestra.....Marvelous!

I recently discover two CDs on the "Caro Mitis"(Russian) label of this wondrous group performing world premiere recordings of Telemann Suites and Concertos. They are a force to reckon with and are truly amazing! Search them out and discover how engaging they are. Click on the link for "Caro Mitis" under "Institutions I follow" to discover other recordings this company offers. Click also on the link "Grigorian.com" in order to order these items.

DISCOVER AND ENJOY!

More of Toronto's best!

I have met them both. They are wonderful people and great masters of their instruments! I adore the theorbo!! Lucas Harris also directs the Toronto Continuo Collective.....a group of incredible musicians!

Our very own in Germany

I love this group and their concerts are a mix of great music and a heavy dash of humour! They all blow me away but honestly the two violinists(Aislinn and Julia) really strike a chord of astonishment and wonder!

Vivaldi from Montreal

This is a group(Ensemble Caprice) to watch out for....they are AMAZING!

Tafelmusik Baroque Summer Institute is coming!!!!

The first concert is on June 7, 2010 at Trinity-St Paul Centre! Don't miss it! I am surprised that a video was recorded by someone. I was at that concert held at the U of T. The Tafelmusik Baroque Summer Institute is an event no one should miss!

Too bad the whole "video" is not solely about Tafelmusik's performance! It does however show Toronto as the centre of the universe!

Vive Britannia!