Thomas Augustine Arne: Eight Overtures (2007)

The historical-instrument movement has its own historical releases now, and this 1979 recording, which marked the debut of London's Academy of Ancient Music, is noteworthy for several reasons. As annotator Lindsay Kemp points out, "The revolution didn't start here alone, but with this recording 'period performance' took a giant step forward." Most of the authentic-performance LPs that had appeared up to that point were Continental, and most focused on soloists or small groups. Leader Christopher Hogwood conducted from the ... Read More

The historical-instrument movement has its own historical releases now, and this 1979 recording, which marked the debut of London's Academy of Ancient Music, is noteworthy for several reasons. As annotator Lindsay Kemp points out, "The revolution didn't start here alone, but with this recording 'period performance' took a giant step forward." Most of the authentic-performance LPs that had appeared up to that point were Continental, and most focused on soloists or small groups. Leader Christopher Hogwood conducted from the harpsichord and fostered a cooperative ethos and a bright, pleasant sound that became enormously influential, in contrast to the conductor-driven procedures of his Austrian competitor Nikolaus Harnoncourt and his rather tough string textures. The winds and natural horns seem to spring to life as they arise from the entombment the parts underwent as part of a conventional symphony. And the subject was Thomas Arne, a composer who still has not received his due from revivalists. Many of... Read Less