Thomas Giovanni Albinoni: Basic Works

Albinoni may be best known for his Adagio for Organ and Strings, used in the movie Platoon. The Adagio is an arrangement by musicologist Remo Giazotto, who discovered a fragment of a work while researching for an Albinoni biography. While a beautiful work, if that is all that you know of Albinoni, you are missing a lot. The closest comparison may be of the works of Vivaldi, and the recommended works are baroque gems.

Hogwood and the Academy of Ancient Music give an original instruments performance of the Opus 9 Concertos. This is apparently the first recording of this work on period instruments, and is a full price 2 CD set. Well worth the price, though. Also available as an MP3 Album.

The 2 CD Budget Set by I Musici is also a good recording, and includes the famous arrangement of the Albinoni Adagio. The recordings are from the 1960's, and are of a more romantic vein than baroque, but still is a nice CD. Comes in a bargain MP3 Album also.

The Bargain Adagio Collection, 'Adagio and Concerti' from DG features the Adagio along with various works from the Opus 7 and 9 Concertos, and is a nice sampler if you want a single CD.




Fasch Orchestral Music

A contemporary of Bach and Telemann, Johann Friedrich Fasch is a lesser known German composer. His major claim to fame is turning down a position at Leipzig, for which the post was eventually by Bach. Tempesta di Mare' has recorded a set of his works on Chandos, and the results are charming. While the style fits in the Baroque suite categories, the works are original with a familiar sound. Definitely a nice diversion to listening to the Brandenburg Concertos for those times when you need some nice classical, but are not quite in the mood for Bach.

The Tempesta di Mare' do a wonderful job of recording these works, and the recording is bright and clear. Apparently this is the first recording of these particular works, and is a great addition to any Baroque classical music lover's collection.


Read CD Booklet here.

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