We've handpicked a variety of early music recordings – new and old – to help get you into the spirit of the holiday season: Bach, Schutz, chant and more.
Two excellent Handel recordings with countertenor Bejun Mehta (Harmonia Mundi) and contralto Nathalie Stutzmann (DHM).
Mezzo-soprano Vivica Genaux sings baroque arias composed for castrato Farinelli and Le Concert de Nations performs excerpts from Vivaldi's opera 'Farnace.'
The beginning of an exploration of the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra’s commissions inspired by the Brandenburg Concertos of J.S. Bach.
Haydn symphonies with the Freiburg Baroque Orchestra (Harmonia Mundi) and Nocturnes for the King of Naples with Mozzafiato and L’Archibudelli (Sony).
An exploration of the countertenor in recording from the 1960s to the 1980s.
An exploration of George Frideric Handel’s music, including his compositions for German patrons, London audiences, and a royal boat trip down the Thames.
A look at Alessandro Scarlatti and three of his oratorios with performances by Il Seminario Musicale, the Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin, and Europa Galante.
A look at three settings of the Venus and Adonis story by composers Henry Desmarest, John Blow, and Tomás de Torrejón y Velasco.