London Baroque, the ensemble on this recording, was formed in 1978 and is recognized globally as a leading exponent of baroque chamber music.
Composer's Artistic Vision
The cantatas on this album, like many of the time, draw their material from classical history or mythology, often featuring stories from Ovid's Metamorphoses.
Performer Biography
Emma Kirkby, the soprano, was ranked among the '100 greatest sopranos' by BBC Music Magazine critics in 2007 and was made a Dame by Queen Elizabeth II in the same year.
Compositional Technique
Michel Pignolet de Montéclair used limited instrumentation to effectively portray scenes in his mini-operas, such as dawn with a violin and bass viol, or hunting horns with a violin.
Composer Biography
Michel Pignolet de Montéclair, the composer, introduced the contrabass to the opera orchestra in Paris after encountering it in Italy.
Performer Biography
Emma Kirkby, the soprano on this recording, was voted artist of the year by Classic FM listeners in 1999 and was awarded the Order of the British Empire in 2000.
Composer Biography
Michel Pignolet de Montéclair engaged in a polemic discussion about music theory with Jean-Philippe Rameau, another prominent French composer, in the Mercure de France.
