Dubourg / Irish Baroque Orchestra / Whelan - Welcome Home Mr Dubourg - COMPACT DISCS [CD]

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Continuing their investigation into the wealth of forgotten Baroque music from Ireland, the Irish Baroque Orchestra and it's Music Director Peter Whelan now explore music by Cousser and Purcell. Johann Sigismund Kusser or Cousser was a Hungarian composer who travelled to Dublin, via Germany, France and London. One of the most knowledgeable and respected operatic directors in Europe, he spent the last twenty years of his life in Dublin where he was 'Chappel-Master of Trinity-Colledge' and 'Master of the Irish State Musick' at Dublin Castle. His Serenata 'The Universal Applause of Mount Parnassus', given it's premiere recording here, is an enormously colourful work composed for the birthday celebrations for Queen Anne in 1711. It is also the earliest extant example of operatic music composed in Dublin for Irish audiences. Purcell wrote his Ode 'Great parent, hail!' for the centenary of Trinity College Dublin in 1694 with a libretto by his collaborator and Trinity alum, Nahum Tate. This fascinating, little-known work contains some stunning music by Purcell. It's cautious tone delicately navigates the brittle political atmosphere in Dublin following the Glorious Revolution - the College having recently fallen for a time to the Jacobites. This recording will offer another huge surprise for those who know little of Ireland's forgotten heritage in the art music.

Irène Schweizer and Han Bennink like to play together - you can hear it in every note. After a tour of Switzerland, the two went straight in the recording studio. The result is a stunning second album InchWelcome BackInch. The music moves between freely improvised pieces, beautiful jazz standards, and songs influenced by South-African melodies which are a trademark of Irène Schweizer (such as her classics 'RagInch and 'Bleu FoncéInch). Schweizer says InchHan and I are soul-brother and soul-sister. We have the same taste and rhythmical feelings in jazz music.InchAs Kevin Whitehead points out in the liner notes InchHard to believe this is only the second Irène Schweizer-Han Bennink duo album, given how much they share, how far back they go, and how obviously they love playing together. But then, top improvisers have hectic schedules. Folks talk about how loud Han can be, how ruthless with duo partners, but this music confirms his sensitivity to dynamics in conversational playing, his generosity in support, his eagerness to hear his partner's views.InchThe two share the same sense of play, lyricism, swing feeling, percussive clarity and historical grounding. A masterpiece!