I TEMPI

With the early music revival, entire generations of specialists have emerged that set themselves apart from their mainstream classical music counterparts. But the Basel based chamber orchestra I TEMPI, formed in 2013 with a model that hopes to bridge the separation between baroque and modern orchestras. Their name I TEMPI Â or "the times" reflects an embrace of each time period-baroque, classical, modern, contemporary.

HIP: All Periods, All Styles

The jack-of-all-trades orchestra sets no limits when it comes to making music, performing orchestral repertory from all periods and styles using a historically informed approach both in musical style and instruments appropriate to any given period. It might seem like it could be a circus on stage, and it does take a patient audience, but I TEMPI even switches from baroque, to classical, to modern instruments within the same concert. In this way, they put various sound worlds in stark contrast side by side.

Debut Recording

I TEMPI's debut recording features the string players of the orchestra with a program of Lhoyer's guitar concerto, and the string serenades of Dvorak, and Elgar led by conductor, Gevorg Gharabekyan.

In the heart-tugging middle Larghetto movement of the Elgar E minor Serenade, op. 20, from 1892.   I TEMPI plays with a great depth of expression, wide swells and dynamic contrasts, and a very tasteful use of vibrato-sometimes none at all, and sometimes just enough.  Elsewhere on this disc, I TEMPI manages tricky passages with skill, showing off tight and well-unified ensemble playing as in the Scherzo of Dvorak's E major Serenade.

Presumably, I TEMPI use Tourte bows and their modern instruments for these late 19th century pieces-perhaps they use gut strings? There is no mention of this in their liner note, but gut strings were widely used by performers until World War I, when shortages of material and production forced many players to switch to wire strings. Â Given their mission as an orchestra to play all repertoire on period appropriate instruments, and given that their recording is boldly titled "Authentic" one could wish only that I TEMPI would have included more information about their instruments and approach to historical performance in their CD booklet.

Antoine de Lhoyer

The real gem of this recording is the guitar concerto by French composer, Antoine de Lhoyer. Soloist Stephan Schmidt performs on an original 1826 guitar built by Rene Lacôte in Paris.

Lhoyer had a dual military and music career. Â He served as a soldier starting at the age of 20, but left france in 1791 in the wake of the French Revolution. In 1800, Lhoyer could be found teaching guitar in Hamburg, and then in St. Petersburg where he remained for ten years serving as a guitarist in the Tsar's court. Â In 1812, Lhoyer returned to France and rejoined the army. Somewhere in there, he managed to compose 45 opuses of guitar music.

Thanks to this debut recording from the new Basel based orchestra, I TEMPI, listeners have a chance to get acquainted with Lhoyer's music.