________________________________________
[Begin Theme Music]

Welcome to Harmonia . . . I’m Angela Mariani. Put on your designer gown or tux and roll out the red carpet—we’re heading to the Grammys and the Junos, Early Music style. Every year, North American organizations recognize excellence in recording with major awards. From production and audio engineering to singing and instrumental performance, the Junos in Canada and the Grammys in the US showcase some of the best recordings commercially released in North America. Plus, our featured release is the 2022 Gramophone winner in the category of Early Music: Jean-Christophe Groffe leads Thélème in a program of music by Josquin Desprez.

[Theme music fades]
________________________________________

MUSIC TRACK
Early Italian Cello Concertos
Elinor Frey; Rosa Barocca, Claude Lapalme
Analekta 2022 / PrestoMusic AN29163
Giuseppe Tartini
Tr. 10 Concerto in A Major for Cello, Strings, and Continuo, GT 1.A28, III. Allegro assai (4:36)

Music by Italian baroque violin virtuoso and composer Giuseppe Tartini. That was the last movement, Allegro assai, from Tartini’s Concerto in A Major for Cello, Strings, and Continuo. Elinor Frey was the cello soloist with Rosa Barocca led by Claude Lapalme. We’ll hear more from this Juno-winner and other Canadian Juno and American Grammy Award winners this hour.
________________________________________

Presented annually since 1959 by the Recording Academy, the Grammy Awards recognize excellence in the music industry. Early Music artists compete alongside other Classical artists in several categories including Best Classical Solo Vocal Album, Best Opera Recording, and more. The 2019 Grammy Award for Best Classical Solo Vocal album went to Songs of Orpheus. Tenor Karin Sulayman performed with Apollo’s Fire, a period-instrument baroque orchestra led by Jeanette Sorrell. The recording is themed “I love you to Hell and back,” inspired by songs of the mythological musician Orpheus. We’ll hear “T’amai gran tempo” (or: “I loved you a long time”) by Italian baroque composer Stefano Landi.

MUSIC TRACK
Songs of Orpheus
Karim Sulayman (soloist); Apollo's Fire (ensemble)
Avie Records 2018 / Naxos AV2383
Stefano Landi (arr. René Schiffer)
Tr. 13 D’Arie da cantarsi ad una voce, Book 2: T’amai gran tempo (6:22)

Karin Sulayman, tenor and Apollo’s Fire, performed “T’amai gran tempo” by Stefano Landi. That was from the 2019 Grammy Award-winning album, Songs of Orpheus.

The Grammys have recognized larger Early Music vocal ensembles, too. The 2015 Grammy for Best Opera Recording went to Charpentier: La descente d'Orphée aux_enfers. The Boston Early Music Festival Vocal Ensemble and Chamber Ensemble was led by Paul O’Dette & Stephen Stubbs in a double-bill recording of semi-staged operas by Marc-Antoine Charpentier. As with Songs of Orpheus, much of the music is inspired by the mythological story of Orpheus. We’ll hear “Entrée des Fantômes” from La Descente d’Orphée aux Enfers.

MUSIC TRACK
Charpentier: La descente d'Orphée aux enfers
Boston Early Music Festival Vocal Ensemble and Chamber Ensemble
CPO 2014 / Naxos 777876-2
Marc-Antoine Charpentier
Tr. 41 Act 2, Scene 4: Chœur – 41.1. Entrée des Fantômes (4:26)

Choir “Entrée des Fantômes” from La Descente d’Orphée aux Enfers by Marc-Antoine Charpentier. Vocal soloists were Aaron Sheehan, Jason McStoots, Zachary Wilder, and Jesse Blumberg with the Boston Early Music Festival Vocal Ensemble and Chamber Ensemble.

English tenor Ian Bostridge is no stranger to the Grammys, with 15 nominations and three wins. His CD Shakespeare Songs won Best Classical Solo Vocal Album in 2017. We’ll hear two songs from Shakespeare’s first production of The Tempest by Robert Johnson. Here are “Where the bee sucks” and “Full fathom five” performed by tenor Ian Bostridge and lutenist Elisabeth Kenny.

MUSIC TRACK
Shakespeare Songs
Ian Bostridge (soloist); Elizabeth Kenny (lute)
Warner Classics 2016 / Naxos 190295944643
Robert Johnson
Tr. 10 Where the bee sucks (1:11)
Tr. 11 Full fathom five (3:26)

Music from Shakespeare’s Tempest, “Where the bee sucks” and “Full fathom five” by Robert Johnson. That was vocalist Ian Bostridge and lutenist Elizabeth Kenny from the 2017 Grammy award-winning album, Shakespeare Songs.
________________________________________
[Theme music begins]

Early music can mean a lot of things. What does it mean to you? Let us know your thoughts and ideas. Contact us at harmonia early music dot org, where you’ll also find playlists and an archive of past shows.

You’re listening to Harmonia . . . I’m Angela Mariani.

[Theme music fades]
________________________________________
(1:00) Mid Break Music Bed:

MUSIC TRACK
Charpentier: La descente d'Orphée aux enfers
Boston Early Music Festival Vocal Ensemble and Chamber Ensemble
CPO 2014 / Naxos 777876-2
Marc-Antoine Charpentier
Excerpt of CD 1, Tr. 15 La couronne de fleurs, H. 486 Scene 3: Ballet: Bergers et Bergeres (1:23)

(fades out at :59)
________________________________________
Welcome back, we’re listening to recent award-winning Early Music recordings this hour.

Since 1970, the Juno Awards have been presented annually by the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences recognizing recording industry stand-out albums, producers, artists, and more.

Our most recent winner is “Early Italian Cello Concertos” featuring cellist Elinor Frey and baroque orchestra Rosa Barocca directed by Claude Lapalme. This recording explores music of eighteenth-century composers including Antonio Vivaldi, Giuseppe Tartini, Leonardo Leo, and Giovanni Sammartini. Frey’s album won for best Classical Album of the Year (Small Ensemble) in 2023. We’ll hear two movements from Sammartini’s Cello Concerto in C Major. Here are “Andante sempre piano” and “Allegro.”

MUSIC TRACK
Early Italian Cello Concertos
Elinor Frey; Rosa Barocca, Claude Lapalme
Analekta 2022 / PrestoMusic AN29163
Giovanni Battista Sammartini
Tr. 2 Concerto in C Major for Cello, Strings, and Continuo; 2. Andante sempre piano (2:51)
Tr. 3 Concerto in C Major for Cello, Strings, and Continuo; 3. Allegro (4:20)

Elinor Frey and baroque orchestra Rosa Barocca performed two movements from Sammartini’s Cello Concerto in C Major.

Influenced by jazz, pop, classical music and everything between, Canadian singer Hélène Brunet ultimately found a deep love of Bach and Handel in college. Her Juno award-winning album Solfeggio highlights vocal music of eighteenth-century greats Handel, Vivaldi, Bach, and Mozart as well as Italian opera composer, Leonardo Vinci. We’ll hear two arias from Vinci’s opera L’Elpidia -- “D’alme luce” (“Shine forth lights of souls”) and “Pupillette vezzosette” (“Charming soft eyes”) from the 2022 Juno-winning album for best Classical Album of the Year (Large Ensemble). Soprano Hélène Brunet performs with L’Harmonie des saisons, conducted by Eric Milnes.

MUSIC TRACK
Solfeggio
Brunet, Hélène - soprano; Harmonie des Saisons, L'; Milnes, Eric – Conductor
Atma Classique 2020 / Naxos 00722056659529
Leonardo Vinci
Tr. 3 L’Elpidia, Aria: “D’alme luce” (2:50)
Tr. 4 L’Elpidia, Aria: “Pupillette vezzosette” (4:31)

We heard two arias from Leonardo Vinci’s opera L’Elpidia, “D’alme luce” (“Shine forth lights of souls”) and “Pupillette vezzosette” (“Charming soft eyes”). Soprano Hélène Brunet performed with L’Harmonie des saisons, directed by Eric Milnes.

Our final Juno award-winning album is Handel: Dixit Dominus; Bach & Schutz: Motets, which won for best Classical Album of the Year: Vocal or Choral in 2020. The Ottawa Bach Choir founded and directed by Lisette Canton teams up with Ensemble Caprice led by Matthias Maute in a rich collection of German sacred music. We’ll hear “Dominus a dextris tuis” from Handel’s Dixit Dominus.

MUSIC TRACK
Handel: Dixit Dominus; Bach & Schutz: Motets
Ottawa Bach Choir - Choir; Ensemble Caprice; Canton, Lisette - Conductor
Atma Classique 2019 / Naxos 00722056657921
George Frideric Handel
Tr. 6 Dixit Dominus, HWV 232, Dominus a dextris tuis (Soli e Coro) (6:09)

“Dominus a dextris tuis” from Dixit Dominus by Handel. The Ottawa Bach Choir and Ensemble Caprice were led by Lisette Canton.
________________________________________

Our featured release is another type of award winner. The Gramophone Classical Music Awards have been given annually in the United States since 1977. Not to be confused with the Grammys, the Gramophone awards specifically include an Early Music Category as well as other categories, like instrumental music or opera, where Early Music recordings have won in the past. We’ll hear music from Thélème’s 2022 Gramophone winner in the Early Music Category: a CD of music by Josquin Desprez, whose 15th century French title translates to “Kiss me.” Here is “Plus nulz regretz” by Josquin.

MUSIC TRACK
Josquin ‘Baisiez moy’
Thélème; Groffe, Jean-Christophe – Conductor
Aparte 2021 / Naxos AP259D
Josquin Desprez
Tr. 19 Plus nulz regretz (5:42)

“Plus nulz regretz” by Josquin des Prez. Vocal and instrumental ensemble Thélème was led by Jean-Christophe Groffe from their 2022 Gramophone-winning album of music by Josquin DesPrez.

We’ll conclude with the amusing frottola “El grillo” (“The Cricket”) by Josquin.

MUSIC TRACK
Josquin ‘Baisiez moy’
Thélème; Groffe, Jean-Christophe – Conductor
Aparte 2021 / Naxos AP259D
Josquin Desprez
Tr. 11 Guillame se va chauffer with 4 voices, lute and ondes Martenot, El grillo (2:38)

“El grillo” (“The Cricket”) by Josquin DesPrez, performed by Thélème and led by Jean-Christophe Groffe.
________________________________________

[Fade in theme music]

Harmonia is a production of WFIU and part of the educational mission of Indiana University. Support comes from Early Music America: a national organization that advocates and supports the historical performance of music of the past, the community of artists who create it, and the listeners whose lives are enriched by it. On the web at EarlyMusicAmerica-dot-org.

Additional resources come from the William and Gayle Cook Music Library at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music.

We welcome your thoughts about any part of this program, or about early music in general. Contact us at harmonia early music dot org. You can follow us on Facebook by searching for Harmonia Early Music.

The writer for this edition of Harmonia was Sarah Schilling.

Thanks to our studio engineer Michael Paskash, and our production team: LuAnn Johnson, Aaron Cain, and John Bailey. I’m Angela Mariani, inviting you to join us again for the next edition of Harmonia.

[Theme music concludes at 59:00]
________________________________________