Rachel Redmond, Irish Baroque Orchestra & Peter Whelan – Rachel Baptist: Ireland’s Black Syren (2024)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 55:11 minutes | 997 MB | Genre: Classical
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Linn Records
As champion of music from Ireland, Peter Whelan and his Irish Baroque Orchestra give a rare glimpse into a fascinating figure of the eighteenth-century Dublin music scene. Who was Rachel Baptist? Not much is known of the ‘Celebrated Black Syren’, other than she was a soprano of African descent and born in Ireland, sang regularly in Dublin, London, Liverpool and other cities, and performed alongside famed castrato Giusto Ferdinando Tenducci. The programme includes works that Baptist might have performed at the ‘Grand Concert of Vocal and Instrumental Musick’ held in 1752, including arias by Handel, Pasquali (a couple of premiere recordings), Purcell and some additional instrumental pieces. The ‘resplendent’ Rachel Redmond (The New York Times ) is the soprano.
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Peter Whelan, Irish Baroque Orchestra – Mr Charles the Hungarian. Handel’s Rival in Dublin (2023)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/192 kHz | Time – 01:04:50 minutes | 2,32 GB | Genre: Classical
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Linn Records
A famous French horn virtuoso in his days, the shadowy figure known only as ‘Mr Charles the Hungarian’ was an eccentric opportunist who travelled to Dublin in March 1742. A natural entrepreneur, he capitalized on the ‘Handelmania’ surrounding Handel’s residence in the city at the time, and produced a concert at the Smock Alley Theatre which consisted mainly of Handel’s music. This album recreates the programme and the bohemian atmosphere of the event, showcasing solos for various instruments, some of which had never been heard in Ireland before. The highly resourceful Irish Baroque Orchestra and Peter Whelan have a proven record of curating enticing programmes inspired by Ireland’s musical heritage, and this is yet another fine example. Together with works by Hasse, Telemann and Bocchi, a performance of John Walsh’s early edition of Handel’s Water Music gives a perfect cross-section of this captivating moment in Dublin’s musical history.
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Peter Whelan, Kristian Bezuidenhout – Mozart: Sonata for Bassoon and Fortepiano K. 292 (2015)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/192 kHz | Time – 12:29 minutes | 508 MB | Genre: Classical
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Linn Records
Bassoonist Peter Whelan has won many fans through his recordings with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Ensemble Marsyas and his own debut recording The Proud Bassoon, whilst his recent recording of Divertimenti with the SCO Wind Soloists was chosen by Gramophone as a ‘Top 10 Recent Mozart Recording’. Peter has returned to the music of Mozart with a recording of the Sonata for bassoon and cello (realised here on the fortepiano by Kristian Bezuidenhout).
Read more![Peter Whelan, Ensemble Marsyas, Kristian Bezuidenhout - Mozart's Bassoon. Works for Solo Bassoon (2022) [Official Digital Download 24bit/96kHz] Download](https://imghd.xyz/images/2022/04/11/cqv1xo2i39vra_600.jpg)
Peter Whelan, Ensemble Marsyas, Kristian Bezuidenhout – Mozart’s Bassoon. Works for Solo Bassoon (2022)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 51:53 minutes | 887 MB | Genre: Classical
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Linn Records
Returning to his beloved bassoon Peter Whelan takes a fresh look at the two surviving works by Mozart for the instrument: Concerto, K. 191 and Sonata, K. 292. These attractive early works were most likely composed during the composer’s time in Salzburg. The Concerto is the earliest of his woodwind concertos, and has become a staple work for every bassoon player: it showcases the tremendous capabilities of the pre-nineteenth-century instrument, its agility, extraordinary range and tone colour.
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Irish Baroque Orchestra, Peter Whelan and Sestina – The Hibernian Muse. Music for Ireland by Purcell and Cousser (2022)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 01:10:04 minutes | 1,25 GB | Genre: Classical
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Linn Records
Continuing their investigation into the wealth of forgotten Baroque music from Ireland, the Irish Baroque Orchestra and its Music Director Peter Whelan now explore music by Cousser and Purcell.
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