Overturen: Overtures From the Hamburg Opera
This CD of unusual music is vastly entertaining. With the exception of Handel, who is represented by a suite of dances from his first opera,Almira, the composers whose music is played here are obscure or downright unknown. Johann Christian Schieferdecker's Chaconne is elegance itself; a composer named Erlebach proves himself full of fun in a sprightly dance; Reinhard Keiser'sRidicule Prince Jodelethas a type of energy--and is played with such verve (as are all the selections here)--that it will make you smile. All of these pieces are dispatched with great rhythmic dynamism and the players of the Akademie fur Alte Musik sound as if they're having great fun. So will you--and it's all so new!--Robert Levine