We head into the WFIU vault for this week's featured recording, all the way back to 1999, for three of the early music world's most celebrated musicians on one CD! Violinist Andrew Manze, harpsichordist Richard Egarr and gamba player Jaap ter Linden teamed on the harmonia mundi label for a celebration of the music of Jean-Féry Rebel. Rebel: Violin Sonatas may have been released ten years ago, but the quality of this recording stands the test of time.
Rebel was a prodigy at the age of eight. He impressed the Sun King, Louis XIV, and probably most importantly, the man with almost dictatorial power over the music in France, Jean-Baptiste Lully. His skill as a violinist quickly catapulted him to positions in the 24 violins of the king, then into a director position in the Concert Spirituel and finally as chamber composer to the next king, Louis XV. On this recording, Rebel's proficiency on the violin resounds in his own compositions.
Our quick pick this week is a collection of over 20 years of music on the Dorian label. Gloria!: Songs of Exaltation features music from across the centuries from some of Dorian's most successful releases.