As a matter of course, baroque music formed the backbone already of my very first recorder lessons, when still a little boy. These 'recorder-classics' have accompanied me ever since, both as a performer and as a teacher.
Nicolas Chédeville (Antonio Vivaldi)
Sonata VI in g-minor from 'Il pastor fido' (Paris, 1737; CD-recording).
Jhr. Jacob van Eyck
't Engels Nagtegaeltje from 'Der fluyten Lust-hof II' (Amsterdam, 1654; CD-recording).
Occasionally, I am invited to direct ensembles and orchestras that perform music from the 17th and 18th century. A particularly fine project in this regard, was a scenic production of Georg Friedrich Händel's stunning opera Alcina from 1735, with the Wiener Akademie and the Capella Leopoldina Graz. The performances took place at the historic venues of Schloss Schönbrunn in Vienna (Austria) and the baroque Teatru Manoel in Valletta (Malta). Imagine yourself sitting in one of the elegant loges, to witness Bradamante's virtuoso entrance aria from Act I, É gelosia.
Central to my interpretation of the repertoire from this period is the recognition of the rhetorical underpinning of most, if not all of this music. Therefor, I consider the study of language and linguistics of fundamental importance for a thorough understanding of the various baroque styles, both in instrumental and vocal genres.
My freely available online-lecture on 'The influence of language on rhythm in music from the 18th century' (Kronberg Academy, lecture series Kirill Gerstein invites...) provides some insights on this topic.
My interest in historical improvisation is reflected in this one hour long program I recorded for the Bavarian Radio, titled '1000 years of ornamentation'. It features many audio examples and interesting quotes from historical sources, partly stemming from the baroque period as well (in German language).
Johann Sebastian Bach
gave us some of the most memorable pages ever written for recorder, and his music is - inevitably - especially dear to me. This video registration of a performance of the hauntingly beautiful Alto-aria with recorder-obbligato from Cantata BWV 182 ('Himmelskönig, sei willkommen'), Leget Euch dem Heiland unter, was made during a concert at the iconic Rachmaninov Hall in Moscow. It also demonstrates my life-long occupation with historical improvisation.
Georg Philipp Telemann
What would the recorder be without the music of Georg Philipp Telemann? Here is a CD-recording of the German ensemble Cantus Cölln that I participated in, featuring his rarely performed early Cantata Ach, wie nichtig.