ESSENTIAL RECORDINGS
JAN DISMAS ZELENKA - WORKS FOR ORCHESTRA

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JAN DISMAS ZELENKA - WORKS FOR ORCHESTRA - ENSEMBLE COLLEGIUM 1704 - 099925385828 - SUPRAPHON 3858

Jan Dismas Zelenka was a czech contemporary of Bach. Often compared to Handel, I find his music to be more linear, with the use of more counterpoint, more akin to Bach. His writing style is quite unique, even unconventional, with strange harmonic shifts but an excellent use of all the instruments within any given piece. Even today, musicologists are still struggling as to where Zelenka fits within the grand scheme of things.

This recording, featuring the Ensemble Collegium 1704, is an excellent overview of this often neglected baroque composer.

Jean-Yves Duperron