Bach: Cantata BWV 36

Bach: Cantata BWV 36, “Schwingt freudig euch empor” — Comparing 2 recordings: Koopman/Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra & Choir (2002), Lutz/J.S.Bach-Stiftung St.Gallen (2007, DVD)

Bach: Cantata BWV 18

Bach: Cantata BWV 18, “Gleichwie der Regen und Schnee vom Himmel fällt” — Comparing 2 recordings: Koopman/Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra & Choir (1995), Lutz/J.S.Bach-Stiftung St.Gallen (2009, DVD)

Bach: Cantata BWV 140

Bach: Cantata BWV 140, “Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme” — Comparing 5 recordings: Leppard/English Chamber Orchestra, London Voices (1981), Harnoncourt/Concentus musicus (1984, partial), Gardiner/Monteverdi Choir/English Baroque Soloists (1992), Koopman/Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra & Choir (2006), Lutz/J.S.Bach-Stiftung St.Gallen (2008, DVD)

Forqueray: The Attraction of the Deep

Totally addicted!! In most of baroque Europe, the number of chamber music works for deep string instruments is rather small. Also, viols were very popular in France and in England (to some degree), but rarely used in Italy in baroque times, but at the French Court there was an entire school of famous viola da gamba players…

My Digital Music Collection

(…) In the title I used “digital music collection” — this is a more accurate description, for two reasons: not all this music was bought in the form of CDs — some of these were MP3 or equivalent purchases, plus, the CDs for me are more of an archival medium — the active part of the collection is in my computer…