Focus on Flowers

We travel to Bolivia this week on Harmonia and experience the music from its 18th-century missions. Selections from ensemble Florilegium’s Bolivian Baroque series will explore choral and instrumental music of a rich yet little-known repertoire. We’ll also review a new release of lute songs by Charles Daniels and Nigel North.

Music for Renaissance flute consort from 16th-century France.

The dynamic medieval ensemble La Rota gave an outstanding performance at this year's Bloomington Early Music Festival. On Harmonia this week we'll listen to selections from their memorable concert and festival highlight. We’ll follow with a new release of music by Jacob van Eyck with the Japanese ensemble Anthonello.

Ensemble La Risonanza's recording series of the complete Italian Cantatas of George Frideric Handel.

Instrumentalists have been imitating the human voice for hundreds of years. This week on Harmonia, we'll explore examples of how instrumentalists created diminutions out of music by Palestrina, Crequillon, and others. We’ll also review a new release by Le Concert d’Astree of Monterverdi arias and duets.

The Great Musicians Series continues with Barthold Kuijken, one of the pioneers in baroque flute performance. On Harmonia this week, we discuss some of his recordings and hear him talk about how he came around to adding conductor to his long list of titles.

On Harmonia we'll hear selections from the CDM label. Travel with us this week to Valencia, Spain as we discuss songs, laments, and instrumental works from the middle ages. We’ll also explore a new release of Handel’s opera Fernando by Il Complesso Barroco.

For nearly two decades the French Canadian ensemble Les Boreades has brought audiences a fresh and exciting perspective on music of the baroque. From Boismortier to the Beatles, we'll get a formal introduction this week on Harmonia to one of Montreal's truly special ensembles, as well as a new release entitled Music of the Sistine Chapel.

The career of American cornettist Bruce Dickey has been a pioneering one, to the say the least. This week on Harmonia we explore some of his more recent recordings as well hear him talk about the cornetto, his ensemble Concerto Palatino, and how he started playing this unusual instrument. We'll also review an upcoming release by Musica Pacifica.

The two kings who ruled France during the 17th Century had more in common than might be assumed. On Harmonia this week we'll look for remnants of Spanish culture at the courts of Louis XIII and XIV. Courtly song, opera arias, and the baroque guitar will be featured alongside a new release by the French vocal ensemble Ludus Modalis.