Zelenka / Pisendel: Concerti et al.

EDITORIAL REVIEWS
AMAZON
Zelenka's Hipocondrie sounds mysteriously like a Baroque tango, and it's one of the more fascinating orchestral works in a small but highly distinguished output. Almost alone among Baroque composers, Zelenka had a harmonic flexibility and genuine tunefulness that really sets him apart. Some of his unique sense of color came from his Czech heritage--you can hear the folk influence in both Zelenka's harmony and in the syncopated rhythmic character deriving from ethnic dance music. If you compare Zelenka's to Pisendel's expertly crafted but much more faceless efforts, the differences become strikingly clear. These performances are very well played on "authentic" instruments, and the entire program is a delight. --David Hurwitz