Mi PalPita il Cor:
Baroque Passions
MUSICA PACIFICA
Judith Linsenberg recorders
Elizabeth Blumenstock violin
Josh Lee viola da gamba
John Lenti theorbo and guitar
Charles Sherman harpsichord
with Dominique Labelle soprano
OVERVIEW
MI PALPITA IL COR: BAROQUE PASSIONS is a compelling journey into the rich corners of the mid- and late-Baroque period. Featuring an array of thrilling instrumental and vocal compositions, the album is driven by the performances of French-Canadian soprano Dominique Labelle and American early music ensemble Musica Pacifica, founded in 1990, based in San Francisco, and whose playing has been called “a small miracle of precision and musical electricity” by the Washington Post.
Passion is the album’s throughline—all the vocal works address different aspects of love (from anguish to humor) and the instrumental works are filled with emotional intensity as well. MI PALPITA IL COR: BAROQUE PASSIONS is exquisitely curated, and brings together a delightful variety of works from a distinctive group of Baroque composers. Most importantly, Labelle and Musica Pacifica bring this music to life with the inviting mixture of expertise, ability, and charm that has earned them the highest praise throughout their careers. Musica Pacifica has been dubbed the “crème de la crème” (Alte Musik Aktuell) and “among the finest Baroque musicians in America” (American Record Guide).
Beloved by her fans, soprano Dominique Labelle is a recognized expert in early music repertoire - her voice has been described as “angelic,” “silvery,” and “vibrant” by critics. In MI PALPITA IL COR: BAROQUE PASSIONS, Labelle floats effortlessly between nations and decades as she performs works by Agostino Steffani, an Italian who spent almost all of his career in Germany, George Frideric Handel – a German who achieved renown first in Italy and later in England – and the French titan Jean-Phillippe Rameau. Labelle’s appearance is a virtual tour of the hotbeds of European musical creativity in the period.
At the heart of Musica Pacifica’s performance lie the group’s soloists, some of the finest in the country: recorder-player Judith Linsenberg and violinist Elizabeth Blumenstock, who deliver a particularly stunning rendering of Giuseppe Sammartini’s Sonata in B minor. The charming, conversational Telemann “Paris” Quartet in G Major highlights Linsenberg and Blumenstock and offers expert viola da gamba player Josh Lee a solo turn. Lee also joins John Lenti (theorbo/guitar) and Charles Sherman (harpsichord) to form a superb continuo team that provides vital support. MI PALPITA IL COR: BAROQUE PASSIONS highlights the technique and musicianship that has made Musica Pacifica one of the finest ensembles in the historical performance movement for the last quarter century.
The music featured on MI PALPITA IL COR: BAROQUE PASSIONS is ultimately about intense desire and strong emotions. Through the captivating performances of Dominique Labelle and Musica Pacifica, MI PALPITA IL COR: BAROQUE PASSIONS connects its listeners to the heartbeat of Baroque music and the spirit that energized 17th- and 18th- century Europe’s most important composers.
HIGHLIGHTS
Musicians Judith Linsenberg, Elizabeth Blumenstock, Josh Lee, John Lenti, and Charles Sherman form Music Pacifica. The ensemble has been described as “some of the best baroque musicians in America” (American Record Guide), and “among the best in the world” (Alte Musik Aktuell)
Their appearance at the Berkeley Early Music Festival was cited in Early Music (UK) as “perhaps the standout of the entire festival”, and their appearance on the mainstage at the Boston Early Music Festival was reviewed as “little short of sensational…astonishing…breath-taking throughout” (The Boston Musical Intelligencer)
The ensemble is joined by acclaimed soprano Dominique Labelle, who is renowned for her probing explorations of the repertoire from the Baroque to new music. Her passionate commitment to music-making has led to close and enduring collaborations with a number of the world’s most respected conductors and composers. Her discography contains a number of prize-winning selections, and she is heard frequently in major concert halls around the world
Musica Pacifica’s previous releases have won national and international awards, including CD of the Month by ALte Musik Aktuell, and WQXR’s Record Award honoring the best chamber music recordings of the year
ALSO ON NAVONA
NV5902
Release Date: October 14, 2016
Catalog #: NV6056
TRACK LISTING
MUSICA PACIFICA
Judith Linsenberg recorders
Elizabeth Blumenstock violin
Josh Lee viola da gamba
John Lenti theorbo and guitar
Charles Sherman harpsichord
with Dominique Labelle soprano
Agostino Steffani (1654-1728)
Guardati o Core (Cantata)
1 Aria: Guardati o core
2 Recitativo: Da quei begli occhiarcieri
3 Arioso and Ritornello: Sappi ch’ei ti lusinga
4 Arioso: Fugga pur l’impero
5 Aria: Sono i frutti d’amor
Giuseppe Sammartini (1695-1750)
Sonata in B minor, Op. 1, No. 6 (London, 1736)
6 Con Spirito
7 Allegro
8 Andante e staccato
9 [Allegro]
George Frideric Handel (1685-1759)
Mi Palpita il Cor (Cantata)
10 Recitativo ed Arioso: Mi palpita il cor
11 Recitativo: Tormento e gelosia
12 Aria: Ho tanti affani
13 Recitativo: Clori, di te me lagno
14 Aria: Se un di m’adora
Georg Philipp Telemann (1681-1767)
Quatuor Nr. 3 in G major
from “Nouveaux Quatuors” (1738)
15 Prélude: Un peu Vivement
16 Légèrement
17 Gracieusement
18 Vite
19 Modéré
20 Gai
21 Lentement-Vite-Lentement-Vite
Jean-Philippe Rameau (1683-1764)
Orphée (Cantata)
22 Récitatif: Par le charme vainqueur
23 Air: Que du bruit de tes hauts exploits
24 Récitatif: Mais son âme sensible
25 Air gracieux: J’ai pour témoin de ma victoire
26 Récitatif: À ce penseur flatteur
27 Air: En vain par des nouveaux accords
28 Air: Amour, Amour
29 Récitatif: Inutiles regrets
30 Air gai: En amour il est un moment
INSTRUMENTS
Voice flute by Jean-luc Boudreau, Montréal, Québec, 2000, after Jacob Denner (Steffani, Sammartini, Telemann)
Tenor recorder, “Dreamflute” by Adriana Breukink, Enschede, The Netherlands, 2005 (Handel, Rameau)
Alto recorder by Joachim Rohmer, Celle, Germany, 2003, after Bressan (Rameau)
Soprano recorder by Friedrich von Huene, Boston, MA, 1994; after Terton (Rameau)
Violin by Andrea Guarneri, Cremona, 1660, on generous loan from the Philharmonia Baroque Period Instrument Trust
Theorbo by Klaus Jacobsen, London, England, 2001, after 17th-century Italian models (Steffani, Handel, Telemann, Rameau)
Baroque guitar by John Rollins, Bellingham, WA, 2011, after Jean Voboam, 1686; Strings by Aquila (Sammartini)
Bass viol after Colichon, Francis Beaulieu, Montréal, 2011
Double manual harpsichord by John Phillips, Berkeley CA, 2010, after Johann Heinrich Gräbner, Dresden, 1722;
special thanks to Peter and Cynthia Hibbard for the use of the instrument
CREDITS
Steffani, Handel, and Rameau recorded January 13-15, 2015 at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Belvedere CA
Telemann and Sammartini, recorded October 4 - 6, 2015 at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Belvedere CA
Recording Assistant Engineer
Daniel Davidsen (October sessions)
Recording Production, Engineering, Editing, and Mastering
David v.R. Bowles, Swineshead Productions, LLC
(all tracks)
Executive Producer Bob Lord
Executive A&R Sam Renshaw
A&R Brandon MacNeil
Audio Director Jeff LeRoy
Mastering Shaun Michaud
Production Engineer Lucas Paquette, Nate Hunter
Art & Production Director Brett Picknell
Graphic Design Emily Roulo
Marketing Mike Mahn
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