This CD is a sequel to Bizarre or baRock (MD 3179). Barock is a German word, which originally meant 'bizarre'. The word 'rock', incidentally, was used early in the 20th century as a euphemism for sexual congress and later became a generic musical term. It was not until early in the 20th century that the word Barock was used in Germany to describe the music of Bach's time. When Sir Charles Burney first used it in his German Tour diary (1733), he explained that it meant 'course and uncouth', much as writers then used the word 'Gothic'. In architecture, the word Barock was applied from about 1867 to the highly-decorated style of the 17th and 18th centuries in Austria and Germany. Therefore, to apply the term Baroque (French/English spelling) with all its shades of meaning is to extend the boundaries of Baroque music far beyond the dates that have traditionally been set for it.

This CD explores 'Baroque' harpsichord music across four centuries: it ranges from Peerson's early programatic cameo, through traditional Baroque repertoire by Bach, Vivaldi, Couperin, Telemann and Purcell to the music of jazz greats, Alec Templeton and Dave Brubeck.


Need an audio preview? We have TWO samples to whet your appetite:

Goebels: Chocolate Boogie, in mp3 – or download.

Brubeck: Blue Rondo à la Turk in mp3 – or download.