The Boston Camerata did much to introduce the early music movement to American audiences, and the group has a large recording catalog. Under new director Anne Azéma, its recordings have become sparser, but if their new recordings are going to be as well thought out as Free America!, then the waits will be worth it. What Azéma and the Camerata offer here is nothing less than a rethinking of the early American choral and vocal repertory, which up to now has not had performances that placed the music in convincing contexts and ...
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The Boston Camerata did much to introduce the early music movement to American audiences, and the group has a large recording catalog. Under new director Anne Azéma, its recordings have become sparser, but if their new recordings are going to be as well thought out as Free America!, then the waits will be worth it. What Azéma and the Camerata offer here is nothing less than a rethinking of the early American choral and vocal repertory, which up to now has not had performances that placed the music in convincing contexts and brought it to life. It may seem ironic that it has taken a French director to make this happen, but of course, the playbook from which Azéma is working is that of Jordi Savall in his deep historical-musical panoramas. The program, as Savall often does, is evenly divided into related sections: "All Unite!," "Gone for a Soldier," "Repentance," "The Rich Man," and "A Land of Freedom." All present music is connected to the American Revolution and the ideas and ideals of the young...
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