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See Terms & Conditions for p&p rates. | |  | JS Bach: Organ Trio Sonatas (arranged for multiple instruments)
The wealth of secular and sacred music Bach produced in his lifetime belies the fact that very few bona fide works for chamber ensemble exist (or survive). This prompted us, with a great sense of humility and deference towards the master, to increase our chamber repertoire with these beguiling gems. Our task of adapting these pieces for varying combinations of instruments can also be seen as harking back to Bach’s own interest in transferring styles and idioms from other works to a solo or group of instruments, and vice-versa, something which he explored particularly during his years of employment at the ducal court in Weimar (1708-1717). Regular performances in some of the world’s most prestigious venues have confirmed Florilegium’s status as one of Britain’s most outstanding period instrument ensemble. Since their formation in 1991 they have established a reputation for stylish and exciting interpretations, from intimate chamber works to large-scale orchestral and choral repertoire. “if the spirit of the originals is hard to reproduce, the attempt yields a rich crop of repertoire-enhancing chamber music. The playing sparkles with an intoxicating freshness that continually invites the lively outer movements onto the dance floor.” BBC Music Magazine, November 2012 **** “Especially imaginative scorings inform Florilegium's critiquing of the sonatas' contrapuntal clarity and spaciousness, ones which exploit the multi-genre references which so fascinated Bach...the main Florilegium protagonists offer some wonderfully responsive and vital Bach-playing, esepcially in the framing works.” Gramophone Magazine, November 2012 “it is a measure of Florilegium’s success that anyone who does not know the organ originals would hardly guess that these trios were not conceived for flute, strings and lute or harpsichord continuo. To purists, the combinations might seem un-Bachian, but the instrumentation is inspired. This entrancing disc is a team effort, unreservedly recommended.” Sunday Times, 5th August 2012 “The trio sonatas that Bach wrote, probably for his son Wilhelm Friedemann to master his skills at the organ, are so perfect that you can understand why others have plundered them for different instruments...The most successful are BWV 525 and 526, nicely done with flute and violin duetting equally over continuo.” The Observer, 29th July 2012 | | | In stock - usually despatched within 1 working day. |
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| |  | Vivaldi: Sacred works for soprano & concertos
Vivaldi joined the staff of the Ospedale della Pietà in September 1703 as Maestro di Violin. Established in the 14th century, the Pietà was one of four charitable Venetian orphanages for women supported by the state. Vivaldi’s instrumental chamber works cannot be dated with any certainty, nor do we know for whom they were written. Despite this lack of information, we can surmise he produced them for his pupils at the Pietà, perhaps during the late 1720's and 1730's. Bach, Telemann and several French composers all explored the chamber concerto medium to a great degree. 18th-century Italian composers, who concentrated on opera, sacred and secular music for the voice, appear to have ignored it, with the exception of Vivaldi. Our modern image of Vivaldi is primarily that of a secular composer, yet much of his work was intended for performances in the church. The importance of sacred music for solo voice in the oeuvre of Vivaldi emerges with a bolds statistic: of his fifty or so extant sacred vocal works, thirty are for solo voice. These sacred pieces reflect the talents of the orphans at the Ospedale della Pietà, which maintained an allfemale choir and orchestra responsible for the music in its chapel. Despite its ability to perform choral music at a very high standard, the Pietà also laid special emphasis on works for solo voice. “[Manahan Thomas's] fresh sounding, youthful voice, agile technique and secure intonation are a delight and are qualities that well serve the sometimes theatrical demands of Vivaldi's virtuoso writing...the interspersed instrumental concerots are played with vitality and finesse. Here is a disc from Florilegium that should disappoint few readers and it deserves to do well.” BBC Music Magazine, March 2012 ***** “The group's sound is less extroverted than many of its European contemporaries, but unbridled flamboyance would not be appropriate in this programme of sacred vocal music and concertos in the ecclesiastical manner...Overall, the stylish performances on this effectively programmed and well-recorded collection make a strong case for a nuanced and relatively understated approach to Vivaldi.” bbc.co.uk, 4th April 2012 “Elin Manahan Thomas is a youthful, bright and clean soloist with a strong core to the voice, a good instinct for when to apply vibrato and the technical agility required for throwing off Vivaldi's more virtuoso passages.” Gramophone Magazine, February 2012 “Manahan Thomas manages all with pleasing athleticism, great textural clarity and an avoidance of anything in the way of intrusive mannerism. She and the sympathetic support provided by Florilegium are sensible to Vivaldi's deftly portrayed images complementing the text...All is played with finesse and affection by soloists and ripienists alike.” International Record Review, January 2012 | | | In stock - usually despatched within 1 working day. |
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| |  | Purcell - Songs & Instrumental Music
Purcell: | Strike the Viol (from Come Ye Sons of Art, Z323) Incassum Lesbia, incassum rogas ('The Queen's Epicedium'), Z383 Here the deities approve, Z339 O solitude, my sweetest choice, Z406 Sweeter than Roses (from Pausanius, the Betrayer of his Country, Z585) Music for a while, Z583 If music be the food of love, Z379 In the black dismal dungeon of despair, Z190 An Evening Hymn 'Now that the sun hath veiled his light', Z193 Chacony in G minor - for Two Violins, Viola and Bass Z730 Prophetess or The History of Dioclesian, Z627: extracts |
Michael Chance (countertenor), Rebecca Prosser, Ashley Solomon, Rachel Podger, Lucy Russel, Jane Rogers, Richard Boothby, Maggie Cole, Nigel North, Neal Peres Da Costa, David Miller & Daniel Yeadon Florilegium Michael Chance is a renowned exponent of this repertoire. Florilegium has won many awards for its sensitive chamber-music-making in the Barock era. Spanning his short creative life, Purcell’s Songs are a constant feature in his output. In between official Odes, the semi-operas and instrumental music is a profusion of wonderfully intimate, sometimes bawdy and explicit songs. Written for his circle of friends the texts are from a variety of sources – Shakespeare and Dryden understandably loom large among the poets whose words were set by Purcell. In 1698 his songs were published complete in Orpheus Britannicus . Purcell composed only one true opera, and the form known as ‘semi opera’ was the most popular in England at the time. In these works the actors did not sing. Musical interludes either of vocal numbers or instrumental music punctuated the action. The second half of this CD contains examples of the instrumental music Purcell provided for Dioclesan and Timon of Athens. | | | In stock - usually despatched within 1 working day. |
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| |  | Bolivian Baroque Volume 1Baroque music from the missions of Chiquitos and Moxos Indians
A recording of Bolivian baroque music in the Church of Concepción in the middle of the Bolivian jungle. Includes a revealing DVD 'Making of' video diary. “Unfamiliar music, certainly, but done with tremendous verve and imagination. Florilegium travelled to the 'Chiquitos Missions' music festival in Bolivia in 2002 and teamed up with some local musicians for a truly inspiring recording.” Gramophone Magazine, Awards Issue 2005 “Sparing no expense to bring you exotic rarities, Channel Classics carted 300kg of recording equipment from Holland to the depths of the Bolivian jungle to compile this remarkable disc in the Missionary Church of Concepción. The British ensemble Florilegium is joined by handpicked Bolivian soloists to recreate the ethereal music dating from the work of 17th- and 18th-century Jesuit missionaries among the Chiquito and Moxo peoples. Far from imposing their own traditions, the Jesuits injected new ideas into traditional local techniques, producing these distinctly South American versions of European sacred music.” Anthony Holden, The Observer | | | In stock - usually despatched within 1 working day. |
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| |  | Telemann: Chamber Music
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| |  | Haydn - Symphonies Nos. 93, 94 & 101(arr.Salomon)
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| |  | Vivaldi Concerti
plus cello concertos assembled from movements of other Vivaldi concertos
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| |  | Fatale FlameMusic from 18th Century France
This is an extremely attractive collection of high-quality 18th C. French music chamber music. Florilegium’s performances are full of technical expertise, precise ensemble and good style. - Gramophone | | | In stock - usually despatched within 1 working day. |
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| |  | Music for the King’s Pleasure
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