# Favourite Period Instrument Orchestras & Ensembles



## JSBach85

I am now listening to some Vivaldi concertos and I want to ask you about your favourite period instrument orchestras.

This is a short list of some of my favourite Period Instrument Orchestras & Ensembles:

Ricercar Consort
Collegium 1704
Les Arts Florissants
La Chapelle Royale
Ensemble 415
Les Musiciens du Louvre
Les Talens Lyriques
Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin
Concerto Köln
Freiburger Barockorchester
Musica Antiqua Köln
La Cetra Barockorchester Basel
Sonatori de la Gioiosa Marca
Accademia Bizantina
Concerto Italiano
Europa Galante
Il Giardino Armonico
I Barocchisti
Modo Antiquo
Venice Baroque Orchestra
Bach Collegium Japan
Le Concert des Nations/Hespèrion XX/Hespèrion XXI
Ensemble Elyma
Academy of Ancient Music
English Baroque Soloists


----------



## david johnson

I do not keep up with them. However, I do enjoy Collegium Aureum.


----------



## Ras

*Sigiswald Kuijken and Le Petite Bande* - My favorite recording of Haydn's London Symphonies. Two of my favorite recordings of Bach's Orchestral suites (and two of my _LEAST_ favorite recordings of the Brandenburgs).

*Joos van Immerseel and Anima Eterna*. Wonderful piano concertos by Mozart and Beethoven. Some of my favorite recordings of Beethoven Symphonies no. 7 and 8.

*Jordi Savall and his ensembles* - I don't think I have ever regretted spending time with his recordings.

*Richar Egarr or Christopher Hogwood with The Academy of Ancient Music*. Hogwood's recordings have really grown on me over the years - I used to prefer Pinnock in the Mozart symphonies, but how it's Hogwood. Egarr is excellent with Bach - the Passions and the Brandenburgs and Orchestral suites... YEAH!

Unfortunately Immerseel hasn't recorded much Haydn and Kuijken hasn't recorded much Mozart.

I like period ensembles with a "dark" sound rather than the ensembles with a "bright" sound.

This is a rule of thumb for me personally with period orchestras and repertoire:

- For Baroque and Classical era repertoire up until late Haydn and late Mozart I prefer period to modern

- For Beethoven I need both period and modern recordings.

- For almost everything in music history that comes after Beethoven I prefer modern orchestras.

I live in Denmark so my local heroes are Lars Ulrik Mortensen with Concerto Copenhagen - they have made many, many recordings over the years, but I much prefer to hear them live.


----------



## Ras

*John Butt and Dunedin Consort* on the Linn label is a "rising star" on the period firmament.
Their recordings of Handel's Messiah - Bach's B minor Mass and his Brandenburgs are some of my favorites. Definitely an ensemble to watch.


----------



## Josquin13

In the early days of the period revival, I most liked the following groups:

The Academy of Ancient Music
The English Concert
The English Baroque Soloists
Linde Consort
Kees Boeke Consort
Leonhardt Consort
Musica Antiqua Köln
Aston Magna
Les Arts Florissants
Orchestra of the 18th Century
Hesperion XX (...XXI)
La Petite Bande (Haydn recordings)
The Bach Ensemble
Concentus Musicus Wien
The King's Consort
The Raglan Baroque Players
Amsterdam Baroque Soloists
La Chapelle Royale

The London Classical Players should also be mentioned for their pioneering Beethoven recordings; as well as the Orchestra of the Drottingholm Court Theater for their pioneering Mozart opera series.

While I retain a special fondness for those pioneering groups, in recent years, I've most liked the following ensembles:

Montréal Baroque
Ensemble Zefiro
Arte dei Suonatori
Gabrieli Consort
Le Poème Harmonique
Freiburger Barockorchester
Accademia Bizantina
Ensemble 415
Cantus Cölln
La Petite Symphonie
Les Musiciens du Louvre
Tafelmusik
Anima Eterna
Pygmalion
Dunedin Consort
Hofkapelle München
Concerto Melante
Ensemble Elyma
Ricercar Consort, in recent years under Philippe Pierlot, though I'm not as keen on the group's earlier recordings.
Philharmonia Baroque
Il Complesso Barocco
Arcangeli Baroque Strings
Ensemble Plus Ultra
Sonatori de la Gioiosa Marca
La Magnifica Comunità
Orchestra of the Renaissance
Il Giardino Armonico
Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment
Venice Baroque Orchestra
Gli Incogniti
Il Fondamento
Collegium 1704
L'Arpeggiata
Brecon Baroque
FestpielOrchester Göttingen
Orchestre Révolutionaire et Romantique
Les Siècles

& a selection of period chamber ensembles that I've liked (though many of the above groups perform chamber music as well):

L' Ecole Orphee
Quatour Mosäiques
Schuppanzigh Quartet
Trio 1790
Convivium (formerly The Locatelli Trio)
Ensemble Sonnerie
The Mozartean Players
L'Archibudelli
Cuarteto Casals (period bows)
Florilegium
Brandywine Baroque 
Musica Pacifica


----------



## philoctetes

Looking at newer (to me) groups, I'd single out Elbopolis Barockorchester Hamburg for their recent Delalande release. I also enjoy the London Haydn Quartet for making Haydn that isn't Beethovenish.

Looking back, Alberto Rasi made quite a few nice recordings with his group on Stradivarius, Accademia Strumentale Italiana. Sonatori de la Gioisa Marca has been innovative and fresh through several decades. And I often liked the Purcell Quartet and London Baroque as well. These groups didn't play quite as fast as others often have, or so it seems.


----------



## JSBach85

Josquin13 said:


> In the early days of the period revival, I most liked the following groups:
> 
> The Academy of Ancient Music
> The English Concert
> The English Baroque Soloists
> Linde Consort
> Kees Boeke Consort
> Leonhardt Consort
> Musica Antiqua Köln
> Aston Magna
> Les Arts Florissants
> Orchestra of the 18th Century
> Hesperion XX (...XXI)
> La Petite Bande (Haydn recordings)
> The Bach Ensemble
> Concentus Musicus Wien
> The King's Consort
> The Raglan Baroque Players
> Amsterdam Baroque Soloists
> La Chapelle Royale
> 
> The London Classical Players should also be mentioned for their pioneering Beethoven recordings; as well as the Orchestra of the Drottingholm Court Theater for their pioneering Mozart opera series.
> 
> While I retain a special fondness for those pioneering groups, in recent years, I've most liked the following ensembles:
> 
> Montréal Baroque
> Ensemble Zefiro
> Arte dei Suonatori
> Gabrieli Consort
> Le Poème Harmonique
> Freiburger Barockorchester
> Accademia Bizantina
> Ensemble 415
> Cantus Cölln
> La Petite Symphonie
> Les Musiciens du Louvre
> Tafelmusik
> Anima Eterna
> Pygmalion
> Dunedin Consort
> Hofkapelle München
> Concerto Melante
> Ensemble Elyma
> Ricercar Consort, in recent years under Philippe Pierlot, though I'm not as keen on the group's earlier recordings.
> Philharmonia Baroque
> Il Complesso Barocco
> Arcangeli Baroque Strings
> Ensemble Plus Ultra
> Sonatori de la Gioiosa Marca
> La Magnifica Comunità
> Orchestra of the Renaissance
> Il Giardino Armonico
> Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment
> Venice Baroque Orchestra
> Gli Incogniti
> Il Fondamento
> Collegium 1704
> L'Arpeggiata
> Brecon Baroque
> FestpielOrchester Göttingen
> Orchestre Révolutionaire et Romantique
> Les Siècles
> 
> & a selection of period chamber ensembles that I've liked (though many of the above groups perform chamber music as well):
> 
> L' Ecole Orphee
> Quatour Mosäiques
> Schuppanzigh Quartet
> Trio 1790
> Convivium (formerly The Locatelli Trio)
> Ensemble Sonnerie
> The Mozartean Players
> L'Archibudelli
> Cuarteto Casals (period bows)
> Florilegium
> Brandywine Baroque
> Musica Pacifica


Great list. I would also add L'Aura Soave for their Vivaldi's Concerti per Fagotto I,II,III recordings on Naive. I am now listening to Kuijken's Haydn recordings and I will order some of them.


----------



## Josquin13

"I am now listening to Kuijken's Haydn recordings and I will order some of them."

They're excellent, & among the better recordings I've heard from Kuijken. I most enjoy the Japanese import set, which additionally includes the Paris Symphonies 82-87 that Kuijken recorded with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment: https://www.amazon.com/Haydn-London...keywords=haydn+kuijken+la+petite+bande+import. Although you can buy the Paris Symphonies more inexpensively on a Virgin Veritas discount release: https://www.amazon.com/Haydn-Paris-..._rd_t=40701&psc=1&refRID=P0GK4DQ4VCGQ3ND7GQ9S

Thanks for the tip on the Vivaldi--no, I don't have those recordings, & will look into them.

Have you heard this Vivaldi CD from Ensemble Zefiro?:
https://www.amazon.com/Vivaldi-Conc...pID=61FFMcxaG3L&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch. I bought it about a year ago and have enjoyed it.


----------



## Moscow-Mahler

I'd like to add Ensemble Marsyas to the mentioned above. Love their recording of "Apollo e Dafne" (an appropriate cantata for an ensemble with such a name).

La Serenissima, another British ensemble, is also worth mentioning for their recordings of Italian baroque music.

Collegium Cartusianum with Kölner Kammerchor - for Mozart's church music.


----------

