Geminiani: Quinta Essentia [LP]

Why Francesco Geminiani is not mentioned these daysalongside other great masters of the era of Baroque music isa bit of a mystery. Together with Corelli and Handel her wasone of the composers who made a great career for himself ineighteenth-century Great Britain. Concerto Koln has notforgotten him, on the contrary: the ensemble pays homageto him as one of the true greats. And now the musicians havechosen their favourite pieces from his entire oeuvre andcalled it Geminiani's Quintessence.Concerto Koln has chosen works from all categories of hiswork for this project, with bassoonist Lorenzo Alpert taking aleading role in selecting those rare works "which we think arethe loveliest and most accomplished of his compositions."The fact that Geminiani left a host of teaching manuals aboutplaying technique and interpretation was decisive for theensemble's interpretation of the works. "These rich sourcesof information made it possible for us to employ somesurprising and unusual stylistic elements in our readings ofhis Concerti Grossi," explains Alpert. "They are what led tohis special and very personal 'Quinta Essentia'" which will beavailable on CD and double vinyl.