Agata Meissner - Austrian Harpsichord Music of the Late 17th Century - COMPACT DISCS [CD]

Vienna in the second half of the 17th century, under the rule of Emperor Leopold I, was a significant center of musical life-a place where various styles and influences intersected, distinguished by it's own traditions and performance practices. The same was true for harpsichord music composers working under the auspices of the imperial court supported and inspired each other, which resulted in a large number of surviving works preserved in libraries such as those in Leipzig, Berlin, and New York.The album includes both single-movement and multi-movement compositions that share a virtuosic character, highlighting the exceptional talent of the renowned harpsichordists of the era. Special attention should be given to the artist's own transcription of an unpublished and previously unrecorded suite by Biber, which is the result of Agata Meissner's own research work. The artist is affiliated with the Mozarteum University in Salzburg and divides her attention between performing early music and caring for historical instruments. Three of these instruments were used on this album, specifically chosen to emphasize the characteristics unique to the works of each composer.The album transports listeners to an era of fervent rhetoric and emotions, contained within the bounds of courtly elegance.