CCMusic.com

Why Francesco Geminiani is not mentioned these days

alongside other great masters of the era of Baroque music is

a bit of a mystery. Together with Corelli and Handel her was

one of the composers who made a great career for himself in

eighteenth-century Great Britain. Concerto Koln has not

forgotten him, on the contrary: the ensemble pays homage

to him as one of the true greats. And now the musicians have

chosen their favourite pieces from his entire oeuvre and

called it Geminiani's Quintessence.

Concerto Koln has chosen works from all categories of his

work for this project, with bassoonist Lorenzo Alpert taking a

leading role in selecting those rare works "which we think are

the loveliest and most accomplished of his compositions."

The fact that Geminiani left a host of teaching manuals about

playing technique and interpretation was decisive for the

ensemble's interpretation of the works. "These rich sources

of information made it possible for us to employ some

surprising and unusual stylistic elements in our readings of

his Concerti Grossi," explains Alpert. "They are what led to

his special and very personal 'Quinta Essentia'" which will be

available on CD and double vinyl.