Christophe Rousset - Bach: Die Kunst Der Fuge BWV 1080 - COMPACT DISCS [CD]

On it's current disc, Ensemble Thios Omilos presents prayers from the midst of religious and everyday life. The five young men sing four- and five-part settings for men's voices from the Romantic and modern periods. 'To pray means to throw one's parcel onto God's doorstep,' said Martin Luther, father of the Reformation. This statement very vividly described the inner dynamics of what happens when humans pray - they give voice to their fears, sorrows, and hopes. Some prayers become lifelong companions. With the help of prayers, humans structure their days and years, giving them meaning. They have continued to do so at very different times and in very different places. The language and aesthetics of many prayers have inspired music for almost as long. This disc features works by Gioachino Rossini, Peter Cornelius, Max Reger, Francis Poulenc, and others.

Curley Bridges, the piano pounding R&B pioneer who helped spread the good word on Rock 'n' Roll with his atomic powered pre - Elvis version of InchHound DogInch way back in 1954, celebrates his 75th birthday by throwing a Blues Party at the legendary Silver Dollar Room and captivating the capacity crowd with his many talents. Truly a night to remember.InchIncredibly deep and assured, Curley Bridges can still shout it down like a major leaguerInch - Blues Revue magazine.

Today, French Baroque composer and keyboard virtuoso Louis Marchand is perhaps best known as the performer who failed to take up J.S. Bach's challenge for a musical 'duel.' Unfortunately, this colorful legend has overshadowed Marchand's ample gifts as a composer of organ and harpsichord music. Writing in the 'old fashioned' style of d'Anglebert, he employs a profusion of ornaments which enrich the sustaining power of the sound. In contrast, the music of Rameau immediately imposes a new and revolutionary conception of music. Everything here breathes harmony. The discourse is always deliberately clear, favoring transparency over the bombastic effects of a more sensual harpsichord sound. The Donzelague harpsichord that is featured on this disc provides the link between these two seemingly antithetical composers. Donzelague built his instruments in Lyon and both Marchand and Rameau lived in Lyon at different points in their lives. Christophe Rousset explores the connections and contrasts between these giants of the period.