Beautiful Baroque:Music for Weddings
and Special Moments
From the producers of Harmonia: a collection of timeless baroque wedding music, also great for other ceremonies and special occasions.
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This collection of classical wedding music is available from CD Baby and individual tracks are available for download from iTunes.
Baroque Wedding Music
Germany | Italy | France | England | Spain
Beautiful Baroque includes music by composers of extraordinary skill from Germany, Italy, France, England, and Spain.
They lived and worked during the Baroque Period (ca. 1600-1750) creating elegant works of timeless beauty.
For the most discerning tastes, it's no wonder that Baroque music is some of the most highly sought after classical music for weddings today!
Germany
Germanic countries have distinguished themselves in music for at least a millennium. Foremost among them, especially in the world of classical music is Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750). Musician, teacher, father, and downright genius, Bach is truly “one of a kind.” The specially chosen selections found on this recording offer a snapshot of his compositions for ensembles of varying sizes. From the “Andante” for flute and harpsichord to the classic “Air on a G string,” Bach’s reputation as a composer of extraordinary music is well deserved.
Elias Gottlob Haussmann (1695-1774): J.S. Bach (1748)
Altes Rathaus, Leipzig
Some of Bach’s virtues can also be found in the music of Johann Pachelbel (1653-1706). The Canon in D Major (widely known as “Pachelbel’s Canon”) is a timeless classic and a staple of wedding ceremonies. The cool, zen-like motion of this work helped this gem become an original “one hit wonder.”
Whereas Bach and Pachelbel’s reputations have grown since the Baroque era, Georg Philip Telemann’s (1681-1767) has (unfairly) gone a bit south. His “Heroic Music,” recorded here for the first time on period instruments, is a masterpiece in twelve parts, each of which describes the many virtues of a hero that are still relevant today as they paint a portrait of the ideal partner.
Germany | Italy | France | England | Spain
France
Take a quick survey of France’s cultural history and you’ll run into Louis XIV. As his country’s most significant patron, the “Sun King” was directly responsible for the flourishing of music and dance in France. It was in this environment that the French composers on this recording were able to create the unique flavor of Baroque music known as the “French Style.”
Anonymous: François Couperin (c.1730)
Château de Versailles
François Couperin (1668-1733) is recognized as the most important member of his family’s dynasty of keyboardists. So naturally, his compositions were predominantly for organ and, in particular, the harpsichord. “The Nightingale in Love” comes from his vast collection of harpsichord music where, in this case, he noted that it might also be played on the flute. The call of the nightingale and the flute’s association with birds make for an unusually sweet alternative.
Jean-Fery Rebel’s (1666-1747) Tambourins come from a larger work which musically describes the creation of the world. Hence, “Water” is depicted as a flowing, rustic, and energetic dance.
Jacques-Martin Hotteterre’s (1673-1763) Prélude is the kind of music that would have been played or heard at home. Intimate and ravishing, this movement is intended as a kind of musical appetizer.
Germany | Italy | France | England | Spain
England
A German, an Italian, and a native Londoner represent late-Baroque England—a country where musicians of many nationalities found fame and sometimes fortune.
Balthasar Denner: George Frideric Handel (c. 1733)
Genius comes in many varieties and works in mysterious ways. George Frideric Handel (1685-1759) was eccentric, temperamental, and disposed to fits of rage, given the right situation and the wrong soprano. But his Water Music Suites are classics of the Baroque repertoire.
The only bona fide Englishman on this recording, Henry Purcell (1659-1695), may be the finest composer before the twentieth century to have set the English language to music. His “Let Us Dance, Let Us Sing” is a lively example of music that is memorable and clever.
Like Handel, Nicola Matteis (fl. late 17th Century) succeeded in England in large part by composing with his audience in mind. A composer, virtuoso violinist, and guitarist, Matteis had an arrogant personality. (He didn’t like people to talk while he played.) The “Aria” and “Ground” illustrate his abilities to express tender emotions along with light and even bubbly ones.
Germany | Italy | France | England | Spain
Spain
If Baroque music from Germany, Italy, France, and England is a multi-course meal, then the music of Spanish composer Lucas Ruiz de Ribayaz (fl. late 17th Century) is the perfect dessert with a hint of spice. We can imagine Ribayaz at home playing the Spanish harp and putting together his Luz y Norte. Part manual for harp playing and part music collection, the book brings together dances from many parts of the world including Europe, Latin America, Africa, and the Canary Islands. The “Paradetas” and “Chaconas y Marionas” are glimpses into the dance music that gave Spain its exotic and alluring reputation.