jv

Johan van Veen

Le parfaict danser – Dance Music, 1300-1500 (Ricercar)

A splendid and highly entertaining disc [JV]

Locatelli Thuringer Bach Collegium Audite 97.821

Locatelli: Introduttioni teatrali (Audite)

Fine performances of lesser-known music by Locatelli [JV]

Philips & Dering: Motets (Linn)

Welcome contribution to the acquaintance of the sacred oeuvre of Philips and Dering [JV]

Nuit a Venise Alpha 927

Nuit à Venise (Alpha Classics)

The concept of this programme lacks consistency and the performances are uneven [JV]

bernabei madrigals

Bernabei: Concerto madrigalesco (En Phases)

A compelling collection of madrigals, performed by a group of top-class singers [JV]

Biber sonatas PAS1088

Biber: Mystery Sonatas (Passacaille)

An exciting, intense and often dramatic performance of these masterpieces [JV]

Das ist meine Freude – Love Songs and Psalms (cpo)

A compelling survey of sacred concertos from the 17th century [JV]

Seicento Stravagante BIS 2526

Music for Cornetto and Keyboard (BIS)

An instructive and compelling survey of Italian instrumental music from the late 16th and early 17th centuries [JV]

jistebnicky Bohemian pre-reformation supraphon

Jistebnický Kancionál (Supraphon)

It is hard to see a better ensemble to take care of these chants than the Tiburtina Ensemble [JV]

Queen favourites A527

The Queen’s Favourites (Arcana)

A highly entertaining disc to which the lover of wind music will regularly return [JV]

Pegolotti Trattenimenti Armonici Tactus TC661604

Pegolotti: Trattenimenti Armonici (Tactus)

Well-written pieces, which receive fine performances by Opera Qvinta [JV]

Bach: Motets (Château de Versailles Spectacles)

This recording earns a place among the best in the catalogue [JV]

bach mass claves

Bach: Mass (Claves)

One of the best recordings with a small ensemble [JV]

Vivaldi: Nulla pax in mundo (Gramola)

The performances are neat and stylish, but the expressive and theatrical features of Vivaldi’s music are underexposed [JV]

Hymns holten 8226142

Reforming Hymns (Dacapo)

Interesting and important disc from a musical, historical and social angle [JV]

Giovannini Mass Tactus TC700703

Giovannini: Mass (Tactus Records)

A curious combination of an 18th-century mass, 17th-century organ music and ‘neo gregorian’ chants [JV]

crown handel purcell versailles

The Crown (Château de Versailles Spectacles)

These performances of Handel’s Anthems are among the best that I have heard [JV]

Boismortier: Trios, Quartets & Concerto (Christophorus)

This music is intended for entertainment, and that is what we get here [JV]

Bach Sterbens GEN22800

Die Kunst des Sterbens (Genuin)

This disc’s concept makes it a valuable addition to the Bach discography [JV]

Splendours of the Gonzaga (Arcana)

Top-class performances by an excellent ensemble [JV]

Neri: Sonate da sonarsi con varij stromenti (Arcana)

Concerto Scirocco combines technical brilliance with a thorough understanding of the style of Neri’s time [JV]

Hamal: Motets (Musique en Wallonie)

This is how to put a relatively little-known composer on the map [JV]

El cielo y sus estrellas (Orchid Classics)

An interesting disc with little-known repertoire from the New World [JV]

Patino Sacra LAU021

Patiño: Música sacra para la Corte (Lauda)

An interesting survey of the impressive qualities of Patiño as a composer of sacred music for the liturgy [JV]