The Dresden court of the Elector of Saxony was a major center of many arts and technological developments in the 18th century, and its orchestra, whose players were all specialists on their chosen instruments, was second to none. The court had a slight impact on Bach's career, a greater one on Telemann's but most of the music on this release by Les Ambassadeurs - La Grande Écurie is hardly known, and it offers listeners a conception of the late Baroque different from what they may have known. The music is splendid, making ...
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The Dresden court of the Elector of Saxony was a major center of many arts and technological developments in the 18th century, and its orchestra, whose players were all specialists on their chosen instruments, was second to none. The court had a slight impact on Bach's career, a greater one on Telemann's but most of the music on this release by Les Ambassadeurs - La Grande Écurie is hardly known, and it offers listeners a conception of the late Baroque different from what they may have known. The music is splendid, making full use of the capabilities of the big orchestra, ideally reproduced by the newly amalgamated orchestras here, led by conductor Alexis Kossenko. There is a large riverine outdoor work, the sonata Diana sull'Elba, by Johann David Heinichen, during which hunted animals were driven into the Elbe River. There are operatic and choral works by the still underappreciated Jan Dismas Zelenka and a concerto for two flutes by Johann Joachim Quantz with a gorgeous central slow movement. There...
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