Daniel Hope: Air - A Baroque Journey | Baroque Music Album | Perfect for Relaxation, Study & Classical Music Lovers

Product Description

Product Description Air sets out to trace a baroque journey. It is the story of four unique composers, three of whom were virtuoso violinists--Falconiero, Matteis and Geminiani from Italy, and Westhoff from Germany. They wandered throughout Europe during the 17th and 18th centuries in search of musical inspiration and cross-pollination, and their music and art of performance intrigued and delighted kings, contemporaries and audiences alike. This album shows how diverse the music of the baroque era was. Air: A Baroque Journey blends the simplest and at times most primitive forms of dance music with the most sophisticated and revolutionary compositions of the day, culminating in a work by Bach--the great master, whose composition is Daniel Hope's inspiration for this collection which also includes hits like Pachelbel's Canon and Handel's Sarabande. About the Artist British violinist Daniel Hope has toured the world as a virtuoso soloist for many years, and as the youngest ever member of the Beaux Arts Trio during its last six seasons. He is renowned for his musical versatility and creativity and for his dedication to humanitarian causes. Hope performs as soloist with the world's major orchestras and conductors, directs many ensembles from the violin, and plays chamber music in a wide variety of traditional and new venues. Born in South Africa and raised and educated in England, he earned degrees at the Royal Academy of Music, where he studied with renowned Russian peda¬gogue Zakhar Bron. His long artistic partnership with Sir Yehudi Menuhin consisted of over 60 concerts, including Menuhin's final appearance in 1999. London's Observer has called Hope "the most exciting British string player since Jacque¬line du Pré", and recent New York Times reviews summarize his unique attributes as "a violinist of probing intellect and commanding style . . . In a business that likes tidy boxes drawn around its commodities, the British violinist Daniel Hope resists categorization. Mr. Hope, a compelling performer whose work involves standard repertory, new music, raga, and jazz, emphasizes thoughtful engagement over flamboyant display. In his most personal undertakings, he puts classical works within a broader context - not just among other styles and genres but amid history, literature and drama - to emphasize music's role as a mirror for struggle and aspiration." In 2008, Hope organized a unique concert at Berlin's Tempelhof Airport, commemorating the 70th anniversary of Kristallnacht. He has toured extensively with Anne Sofie von Otter and pianist Bengt Forsberg in a significant collaboration that began as an acclaimed Deutsche Grammophon recording (Diapason d'or 2007): long-neglected music composed during World War II by prisoners at the Theresienstadt concentration camp. Devoted to contemporary music, Hope has enjoyed close contact with composers such as HK Gruber, Sofia Gubaidulina, György Kurtág, Krzysztof Penderecki, Alfred Schnittke and Mark-Anthony Turnage. He recorded Toru Takemitsu's violin concerto "Nostalgia" with the composer. In 2008, together with Stewart Copeland, the former drummer of The Police, Hope premiered Copeland's Celeste for violin and percussion at the Savannah Festival, of which he has been Associate Artistic Director for several seasons. Hope also gave the world premiere performance and recording of the critically revised violin concerto by Alban Berg. In summer 2009, in Leipzig and at the BBC Proms respectively, he is presenting the world-premiere performances of Sir Peter Maxwell Davies's concerto written for Hope and the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra. Now an exclusive Deutsche Grammophon artist, Daniel Hope has earned numerous Grammy® nominations, a Classical Brit Award, the Deutscher Schallplattenpreis and five Echo Prizes. He previously recorded for Warner Classics and Nimbus, playing Bach, Berg, Britten, Elgar, Finzi, Foulds, Ireland, Mendelssohn, Mozart, Penderecki, Schnittke, Shostakovich, Tippett, Walton and Weill. His interpretation of Ravi Shankar's composi¬tions on the CD East Meets West met with worldwide acclaim. His Deutsche Grammophon debut solo recording, the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto and Octet with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe (Echo Award, Prix Caecilia, Brussels, 2008), was selected as one of the best recordings of 2007 by The New York Times. In 2008, Hope released a recording of Vivaldi concertos, directing the Chamber Orchestra of Europe from the violin (Echo Award 2009). His newest Deutsche Grammophon album, Air. A Baroque Journey, will be issued in 2009. Daniel Hope's first book, Familienstücke (Family Album), is a best-selling memoir published in Germany, where he currently lives. He has also written scripts for collabora¬tive performance pieces with the Oscar®-nominated actor Klaus Maria Brandauer, An Audience with Beethoven for Mia Farrow, and Forbidden Music, featuring poetry and music written by prisoners at Theresienstadt. Hope is also a regular radio presenter for the BBC and American Public Media. His new book - Wann darf ich klatschen? (When do I clap?) - will be published in September in Germany.