How the Australian landscape fired the imagination of Estonian composer Erkki-Sven Tüür

This 2-CD set of dance numbers from Rameau operas captures Jordi Savall’s period-instrument band Le Concert des Nations playing with all the lusty, effervescent joie de vivre the music demands. The “suites” put together by Savall trace a similar but more unified trajectory to Marc Minkowski’s Imaginary Symphony Rameau album (Les Musiciens du Louvre on Archiv). The present collection is a reminder that the composer’s instrumental music was just as thrilling and inventive as what he wrote for the voice: earthy and robust like a good Provençal stew, without sacrificing the majestic air of refinement that captivated the court of Versailles. One can only marvel at the punchy phrasing in the overture to Zoroastre and be seduced by the exotic percussion in Air des Incas from Les Indes Galantes. An authentic musette, that rare and peculiar Gallic bagpipe, makes an appearance in Naïs to spice up the French Baroque palette. Natural horns in Les Boréades, Rameau’s final tragédie en musique, are less graceful than Les Arts Florissants’ under William Christie (Opus Arts DVD) but richer for their pungency. Surging strings, turbulent transverse flute and a wind machine summon elemental forces, while delicate gavottes have more charm and snappy detail than…

The ASQ unveils its “new look” lineup… And it’s no longer an all-female affair. Continue reading Get unlimited digital access from $4 per month Subscribe Already a subscriber? Log in

Vocal music and a major ballet dominate Tognetti’s program next year. Continue reading Get unlimited digital access from $4 per month Subscribe Already a subscriber? Log in

The guest director of the ACO pays tribute to his beloved hometown in an all-Viennese program. Continue reading Get unlimited digital access from $4 per month Subscribe Already a subscriber? Log in

The very first Mozart violin concerto I ever heard was the composer’s first, dating from 1773, when Mozart was just 17. The performance was by David Oistrakh, and I found it simply wondrous, especially the Adagio movement, with the violin arching with aching beauty over the orchestra. That was many years ago, when I was a very young teenager. It was the natural springboard to the other four violin concertos, which each mirror Mozart’s increasing maturity. I love that concerto still, and Richard Tognetti and the ACO capture perfectly its youthful brilliance and zest. In fact, all three concertos heard here, plus the Rondo and Adagio, are presented in a way which confirms that our ACO is one of the very finest chamber orchestra ensembles performing anywhere in the world today. Particularly delightful in this recording are Richard Tognetti’s cadenzas, which seem to have grown organically from the source-material. There is… Continue reading Get unlimited digital access from $4 per month Subscribe Already a subscriber? Log in

Enter our competition today to experience the ACO in rehearsal for their Baroque Virtuosi tour. Continue reading Get unlimited digital access from $4 per month Subscribe Already a subscriber? Log in

The ACO's assistant leader has become the proud player of a rare $1.79-million violin.

Martin Fröst’s got moves; he should be crowned Scandinavia’s Lord of the Dance.

Richard Tognetti and the Australian Chamber Orchestra offer up an exclusive track from their new Mozart album.