Sacrifices
La Nuova Musica, David Bates
The soft-edged clarity of this smoothly sonorous recording is a tasteful foil to the high levels of emotion, definitely and effectively conveyed by an excellent cast.
Sacrifices
La Nuova Musica, David Bates
Purchase product
The soft-edged clarity of this smoothly sonorous recording is a tasteful foil to the high levels of emotion, definitely and effectively conveyed by an excellent cast.
About
David Bates leads La Nuova Musica in 'Sacrifices', a programme of intensely dramatic oratorios from the mid Baroque. Three poignant tales of denail and sacrifice: St Peter's denial of Christ; Abraham's [narrowly averted] sacrifice of his son Isaac; and the Old Testament story of Jepthe, the hero commander who, before leading the Israelites into battle against the Ammonites, vows to God that if he is victorious, he will sacrifice the first living thing he meets upon his return.
Unfortunately it is his darling daughter, who dances out to greet him with cymbals and flutes. Jepthe must honour his vow...
In a dramatic lament, the daughter [she is never named] asks the mountains to bewail her fate - they answer in echoes; this is followed by one of the most moving choruses in all 17th C music. Belgian soprano Sophie Juncker is the daughter [and one to watch].
La Nuova Musica is established in the UK with regular appearances at the London Handel, the Spitalfields and Aldeburgh International festivals, and has achieved worldwide recognition and outreach through a five-record deal with harmonia mundi USA. Its debut recording for the label, released in March 2012, a world premiere on CD of the 1712 version of Handel’s 'Il pastor Fido', was proclaimed as the arrival of “an exceptionally talented young British ensemble” (Opera magazine). A second release, of Handel and Vivaldi 'Dixit Dominus', followed in 2013. After its recent debut at Wigmore Hall – performing Francesco Conti’s 'L’Issipile' with an all-star cast – The Guardian acclaimed the group as going “from strength to strength”.
A disc of Handel, Bononcini and Ariosti arias, with countertenor Lawrence Zazzo, will be released on October 13th.
Awards and reviews
Autumn 2014
The soft-edged clarity of this smoothly sonorous recording is a tasteful foil to the high levels of emotion, definitely and effectively conveyed by an excellent cast.
Awards Issue 2014
the disc's star turn also resides here in Sophie Junker...This is a disc of much promise from a new generation of British Baroque performing talent.
9th March 2015
beautifully polished performances...poised, crisply articulated and impeccably balanced instrumental items...the players of La Nuova Musica reveal a magnificently vital and committed approach...Sophie Junker intriguingly evokes a girl who is part-temptress, part-innocent.
22nd October 2014
beautifully performed … All three pieces…are a pleasure to hear, performed as they are by skilled and experienced members of this excellent ensemble … The line-up of singers here is impressive and gives all the colour and drama needed … Charpentier and Carissimi have established reputations to which this lovely issue simply adds lustre. Buy this, sit back and enjoy.
20th July 2014
To these affecting narratives (separated by instrumental interludes by De Brossard), La Nuova Musica bring superbly straight tone, unerring tuning and plangent phrasing.
26th July 2014
Without the harrowing visual element one can more easily appreciate how intensely moving these cantatas are in their own right. Sacrifice may be the theme but sensuality predominates. Beautiful, cleanly etched singing and playing
Early Music Today Autumn 2014
Crucially, Bates brings to the fore the dramatic qualities of each oratorioBates always keeps a sense of pace in the long lines of this music...The ensemble singing is unconstrained and nothing short of radiant, and the de Brossard instrumental pieces offer both balance and the instrumentalists of La Nuova Musica the chance to bring colour and vibrancy to the record.
