Search - Freiburger Barockorchester :: Zelenka Pisendel: Concertos [Germany]

Superb, not to be missed!

Christian V. Pampinella | Bloomington, IN | 02/03/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This a superb reissue of a favorite title. I cannot recommend it highly enough. These are very stylish performances of some unique repertoire. The opening "Hipocondrie" orchestral suite by Zelenka definitely deserves a place among the standard baroque warhorses. It is engaging and lively, as is most of his music. The Pisendel violin concerto is just breathtaking in its entirety, and the concerto grosso by Zelenka that concludes the disk has a very catchy opening movement. There are also a pair of very dramatic contrapuntal orchestral movements by Pisendel in c minor that evoke a Sturm und Drang sentiment foreshadowing Haydn and C.P.E. Bach. While charming and well performed, the work is recorded elsewhere in a more lively performance by Goebel et al that should also be investigated. Pisendel was admired by many of his contemporaries and it is not difficult to hear why. Zelenka's music is more idiosyncratic and it might initially strike the listener as being rather bizarre (in a pleasant way), but this is why we listen to baroque music in the first place, isn't it? Don't pass this up, it bears little in comparison to anything else in the catalogue currently."

A forgotten gem of the baroque

Moonfish | Santa Cruz, CA USA | 08/06/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"As I was unfamiliar with the compositions of Zelenka (1679-1745) and Pisendel (1687-1755) I did not quite know what to expect. An hour of splendid baroque music unraveled. The majority of the disk is devoted to Zelenka. However, it is a wonderful program. The Freiburger Barockorchester under the direction of Goltz is fantastic with their ability to bring the music alive and full of spontaneity. The air sparkled with the sounds of the instruments. I happened to acquire this cd as part of the Deutsche Harmonia Mundi 50 cd anniversary set at a bargain price from Amazon France.Deutsche Harmonia Mundi: 50 Years (1958-2008) If you would like to explore the fantastic recordings of the baroque on the Harmonia Mundi label this may be worth pursuing. This particular cd was certainly a revelation in the exploration of the set - a keeper that brings joy. The recording is clear and full. Highly recommended!"