Il Giardino Armonico ~ Musica Barocca

Il Giardino Armonico (Artist), Giovanni Antonini (Artist)

Product Details

• Audio CD (November 6, 2001)
• SPARS Code: DDD
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Elektra / Wea
• ASIN: B000059QW3
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #77,373 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #4 in	Music > Classical > Featured Performers, A-Z > ( I ) > Il Giardino Armonico
  #13 in	Music > Classical > Instruments > Reeds & Winds > Piccolo
  #22 in	Music > Classical > Featured Composers, A-Z > ( M ) > Marcello, Alessandro

Track Listings

1. Bach: Suite No. 3: Overture

2. Bach: Suite No. 3: Aria

3. Bach: Suite No. 3: Gavotte I & II

4. Bach: Suite No. 3: Bourree

5. Bach: Suite No. 3: Gigue

6. Albinoni: Oboe Concerto in D minor, op. 9: Adagio

7. Vivaldi: Concerto for Flautino: Allegro

8. Vivaldi: Concerto for Flautino: Adagio

9. Vivaldi: Concerto for Flautino: Allegro molto

10. Albinoni: Adagio for Solo Violin & Strings

11. Marcello: Concerto for Oboe in D minor: Andante

12. Marcello: Concerto for Oboe in D minor: Adagio

13. Marcello: Concerto for Oboe in D minor: Presto

14. Telemann: Grave for two Flutes & Strings

15. Pachelbel: Canon

16. Pachelbel: Fugue

17. Greensleeves

18. Purcell: Chaconne

19. Handel: Arrival of the Queen of Sheba

20. Albinoni: Adagio for two Violins & Continuo

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Founded in 1985 in Milan, Il Giardino Armonico was one of Italy's earliest period instrument groups. Directed by Giovanni Antonini, who also acts as solo flutist, it consists of about 30 players, all highly accomplished and, to judge from their photograph, appropriately taken in what looks like the garden of a country house, all young. Many of them take solo turns, most prominently the concertmaster, the wind players, and the lutist. Their style is very "baroque," with lower pitch, speedy tempos, especially in fast movements, clipped articulation, lots of swells as well as sudden contrasts, and lavish, imaginative ornamentation. The program, except for improvised variations on "Greensleeves" for solo lute, is all-Baroque and a bit strange. It opens with Bach's Suite No. 3 in a brilliant, exuberant performance, enhanced by a Trumpet Consort from Innsbruck, and then alternates complete concertos for various single and multiple solo instruments with short works, including separate movements. This produces variety but also frustration: the playing is so good that one wants to hear the rest of the piece. Apart from the Bach, Purcell's G-minor Chaconne and the Pachelbel Canon are most familiar. A Vivaldi Concerto for flautino (a sort of piccolo recorder) is a bravura showpiece, but the instrument sounds like a mechanical bird. Also notable are a somber, dramatic Oboe Concerto by Marcello, and several lovely slow movements, including one by Telemann and three by Albinoni. Surprisingly, the saddest and most dissonant of these brings the program to a very mournful close. --Edith Eisler

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Picnics in the Sun, June 10, 2006

By	Grady Harp (Los Angeles, CA United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 10 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Conducted by Giovanni Antonini, the Il Giardino Armonico proves to be one of the finest early instrument ensembles playing today. The thirty member ensemble, each member sufficiently accomplished to act as occasional soloist, is now some twenty years old and they play with a sensitivity to each other that is the hallmark of fine chamber ensembles. They are a delight and the recording is of very high caliber in technology.

Included on this generous CD are JS Bach's 'Orchestral Suite No. 3 in D major' (one of the true highlights of this performance), Albinoni's 'Concerto a cinque, for oboe, 2 violins, viola, cello & continuo No. 2 in D minor', Vivaldi's 'Piccolo Concerto, for piccolo, strings & continuo in C major', Albinoni's famous 'Adagio for violin, strings & organ in G minor, Marcello's 'Concerto for oboe, strings & continuo in D minor, Telemann's 'Concerto for 2 flutes, calchedon , strings and continuo in E minor, Pachelbel's ubiquitous 'Canon and gigue, for 3 violins & continuo in D major', Purcell's 'Chaconne for harpsichord in G minor', one of the most satisfying performances of Handel's 'Arrival of the Queen of Sheba' from 'Solomon' (another reason for owning this CD!), and an elegant 'Improvised Variations on Greensleeves, for lute composed and performed by Luca Pianca.

If ever there were a recording meant to accompany an afternoon picnic in Arcadia then this is it. Highly Recommended on every level. Grady Harp, June 06

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Bits of Baroque, February 28, 2002

By	Ronald K, Werbeloff (La Jolla, CA USA) - See all my reviews

With eleven Baroque composers on this beautifully played CD, Il Giardino Armonica gives us a broad taste of some popular pieces and some less well-known from the period. The flavor changes often - but how else can one get to taste everything !