Released to celebrate the 350th anniversary of the birth of Henry Purcell this is the recording debut of Retrospect Trio, a group formed under the umbrella of the larger Retrospect brand (formerly known as The King's Consort). Originally released in 2009, 'Purcell: Ten Sonatas in Four Parts' has been re-issued as part of Linn's ECHO series which offers a second chance to enjoy the best of the label's award-winning catalogue. This recording explores the timeless beauty of Purcell's first set of sonatas including the magnificent Sonata IX, known as 'The Golden Sonata'. The Ten Sonatas in Four Parts (published after Purcell's death in 1697) provide a fascinating insight into the cosmopolitan and often conflicting stylistic tastes of English musicians in the latter part of the seventeenth century. Purcell blends the significant French, Italian and English influences including unique use of counterpoint, unusual and exotic dissonances and strikingly abrupt melodic changes of direction.The name Retrospect Trio acknowledges the common practice of not recognising the continuo presence in either the title of the pieces or the performing group. The four members of the group, Sophie Gent (violin), Matthew Truscott (violin), Jonathan Manson (bass viol) and Matthew Halls (harpsichord / organ), are all distinguished international performers in their own right with a shared passion for historically-informed music-making. Matthew Halls was Associate Director (2005-2007) and Artistic Director (2007-2009) of The King's Consort before taking up his position as Artistic Director of Retrospect Ensemble. 'Purcell: Ten Sonatas in Four Parts' is a fitting tribute to Purcell by four superstar baroque instrumentalists and the first recording in the highly anticipated Retrospect Ensemble series.
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