Top 10 favorite 17th century composers

[71 dB]

Hi Poju - boy has been a while since we've exchanged posts on this site! 

Well, you & Sammy (i.e. Don) steered me to this 17th century composer - I have much from this era (plus a lot of single CDs that I did not list), SO a new composer to me that I hope that these just ordered CDs will be a joy - sure that I will not be disappointed!  Dave

Hmm... ...when was the last time we exchanged posts on this site Dave?

I don't see how you could be disappointed with those CDs if you generally enjoy 17th century music.   

Monteverdi
Schutz
Purcell
Carissimi
Corelli
Marais
Buxtehude
Biber
Charpentier
Lully

Part of my problem here is that I'm not too much into middle baroque, and I tend to think not in terms of centuries but of early Baroque, etc.    It seems slightly unnatural to me to put, f.i., Monteverdi and Corelli into the same category.

Middle baroque has been overlooked imo, shadowed by late baroque composers. J.S. Bach didn't emerge from a musical void. He was insanely talented and a genius but one ingredient of his achiements is the legacy of middle baroque composers. Bach had the solid foundation of such composers as Buxtehude, Bruhns and Kuhnau to build on his own legacy. Even Handel met Buxtehude who was the paragon for late baroque composers of northern Europe.

I like the "vibe" of middle baroque. I sounds edgy, bold and ambitious but also very beautiful. There's some sort of internal coherence and balance to it and sometimes I feel that late baroque music is "overripe", condemned to mutate slowly into classisism. I'm not saying middle baroque style is better than other styles. I am saying it's equally interesting and lacks the recognition it deserves.

Monteverdi and Corelli are like an apple and an orange. Monteverdi is "barely" a baroque composer of transition period from renaissance to baroque while Corelli's last compositions are more or less late baroque. Also, these composers concentrated on very different kind of genres. Monteverdi wrote madrigals in late renaissance style and early operas while Corelli stayed away from vocal music completely. These two composers just happen to be the starting and ending points of my category of 17th century composers. 

[SonicMan46]

Hi Sean - in the last few days in researching this composer's life & works, I've seen his name spelled both ways - the two recordings I ordered show each spelling (another below w/ just one 'n') - the Wiki article I read (and other hits on Google) seem to favor two 'n's - maybe our German speakers w/ a knowledge of the spelling of names in that area back then can help?  Dave

[Gurn Blanston]

One N or two?

Either is correct. I'm sure you recall how flexible spelling was in those times. I have examples of at least 6 different spellings of Haydn's name, a couple of them stemming from his own wife!   

[71 dB]

One N or two?

Silly me, took me some time to understand what you are asking. 

Weckmann is more frequently used so that's what I use.

[Sean]

Thanks for the Weckmann mention 71, a new name to me and I'm exploring some of the organ music this week. Best, Sean

[71 dB]

Thanks for the Weckmann mention 71, a new name to me and I'm exploring some of the organ music this week. Best, Sean

My pleasure!  Hope you enjoy his organ music.