Barbara Hendricks finds a similarity between the flexibility and freedom in performing Baroque music and singing jazz.
Composer Biography
During Purcell's lifetime, London had a thriving theatrical culture, and music was an essential element in every play, providing him with a reliable source of income.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Both Henry Purcell and George Frideric Handel, the composers featured, were virtuosos with wide-ranging talents who refused to be confined to a single area of excellence.
Composer Biography
Henry Purcell, one of the composers on this album, began his career as a composer for the church, combining French style with English choral tradition.
Performer Biography
Barbara Hendricks, the soprano on this album, made her American and European opera debuts singing works by Cavalli, Monteverdi, and Gluck.
Composition History
Handel's opera Semele, first produced in 1744, was an attempt to renew the English operatic tradition started by Purcell and his contemporaries.
Recording & Production
This album is a collaboration between Barbara Hendricks and the Drottningholm Baroque Ensemble, an ensemble that performs Baroque music.
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