# Baroque performers like Voices of Music



## skroderider (Jun 21, 2020)

Hello, newbie here - I have been learning the violin for a few years and have recently started digging deeper into the various musical eras, starting with the Baroque. I was looking for modern performing groups that specialize in Baroque music and somebody recommended the channel Voices of Music on Youtube.

From my limited experience, I found that their performances have a very distinctive sound that I can only describe as "rich". These are some of the performances that I found especially delightful -
















Are there any other such groups that perform in a similar way? I am sorry that I am not able to explain what I mean by "similar" here.


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## larold (Jul 20, 2017)

These are Americans that specialize in early music. They appear to be mostly college graduates and instructors who don't play professionally, at least not full time. They are fundraising on their site so they probably are not full-time pros.

I can't tell if they use period instruments; it doesn't appear so. The keyboard they use has a plaque on it inscribed 2004, the probable year it was built. It is a harpsichord. The violin soloist, Cynthia Miller Freivogel, has a bio that's easy to find.

This group appears to play early music with a lot of accents, ornaments and some romantic inclination. That would be unlike most current early music groups who play fast, straight and without much emotion though occasionally with intensity.

You shouldn't have trouble finding other early music groups though none may play quite like this one. A few I like -- Four Nations Ensemble and the Parlay of Instruments -- won't accent or use rubato the way this group does. But search around and you may find someone else you like.


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## Dorsetmike (Sep 26, 2018)

You could try searching Youtube for Jordi Savall and Hesperion XXI or Christina Pluhar on theorbo who leads the group l'Arpeggiata. You could also browse the thread "Baroque on You tube", over 1800 posts on 120 pages

Baroque on Youtube


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## skroderider (Jun 21, 2020)

Thank you for the responses. I'm still trying to plough through the recommendations.


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## premont (May 7, 2015)

larold said:


> These are Americans that specialize in early music. They appear to be mostly college graduates and instructors who don't play professionally, at least not full time. They are fundraising on their site so they probably are not full-time pros.
> 
> I can't tell if they use period instruments; it doesn't appear so. The keyboard they use has a plaque on it inscribed 2004, the probable year it was built. It is a harpsichord. The violin soloist, Cynthia Miller Freivogel, has a bio that's easy to find.
> 
> This group appears to play early music with a lot of accents, ornaments and some romantic inclination. That would be unlike most current early music groups who play fast, straight and without much emotion though occasionally with intensity.


Without doubt they play period instruments. Note the lack of chin rests and the curved bows. And most of all it sounds like period instruments. The harpsichord is of course a modern copy of a period instrument.


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## premont (May 7, 2015)

skroderider said:


>


Certainly a good 3. Brandenburg concerto. Whatever they are full time professionals or not, they play at a professional level. And I hear no romantic inflections here.


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## caracalla (Feb 19, 2020)

An outfit very similar to VoM (and which has also made quite a few YT videos) is 'Apollo's Fire', based in Cleveland. One of theirs which shouldn't be missed is a knockout performance of Handel's 'Da Tempeste' with soprano Amanda Forsythe.

I have quite a lot of time for both these groups, not least because they seem to be really into what they're doing and manage to convey that. And they're one way of keeping tabs on up-and-coming American stars in the Baroque field. Forsythe has already gone on to greater things, and I'm pretty sure that violinist Alana Youssefian (who's made several videos with VoM) will follow suit.


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## Ariasexta (Jul 3, 2010)

I can not get on yt, it is blocked here. But what a young man, keep up the good work. :tiphat:


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## Quaternaria (Sep 21, 2021)

*Full time pros *



larold said:


> These are Americans that specialize in early music. They appear to be mostly college graduates and instructors who don't play professionally, at least not full time. They are fundraising on their site so they probably are not full-time pros.
> 
> I can't tell if they use period instruments; it doesn't appear so. The keyboard they use has a plaque on it inscribed 2004, the probable year it was built. It is a harpsichord. The violin soloist, Cynthia Miller Freivogel, has a bio that's easy to find.
> 
> ...


The group is based in San Francisco. One director is Dutch and was trained at the Royal Conservatory of the Hague (DM, UM) and the other is American. Many of the players also play or have played with European orchestras such as Freiburg Baroque, Concerto Koln, Gottingen Festival Orchestra, Les Arts Florissants, Il Complesso Barocco, including as continuo or concertmaster.
All the instruments are either period instruments and the majority are original instruments from the time.
All the musicians are full-time professionals--all arts organizations do fundraising.


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