The holidays are already upon us, and if you are like me this year, you haven’t done ANY shopping for gifts… At least I can make a few recommendations to you, if you are looking for some musical gifts for the holidays!
I am in love with the fabulous French mystery series by Jean-François Parot (the Nicolas Le Floch investigation series). The pardessus scholar Dr. Robert Green recommended these to me, when I was looking to immerse myself in that period prior to Catacoustic’s recording last year. These books talked about the operas of Rameau and paint a picture of life in 18th-century France, mentioning hearing the latest opera by Rameau, as well as the realities of living without modern conveniences. And, they are suspenseful, thrilling books! They are available on Amazon.
I recommend Catacoustic’s recently released CD of music for the pardessus de viole, Le Secret de Muse. I am so proud of Joanna Blendulf and myself for completing this exciting and difficult project! Many thanks to Gregg Hill and Linda Holmberg for making this possible!! The CD is available through our website (http://catacoustic.com/store/), iTunes, and Amazon.
If you enjoyed Catacoustic’s September concert of Buxtehude’s "Membra Jesu Nostri," I recommend a recording by Les Voix Baroques, available through Amazon.com or on iTunes.
To prepare for our February concert of exquisite French music with soprano Shannon Mercer, I recommend a recording that actually inspired me to program this music with Shannon herself singing. It is available on Amazon or iTunes: Mondonville: Pieces de clavecin en concert avec voix or violon, opus 5.
Or, give the gift of an experience with concert tickets to an upcoming concert! Tickets are available at http://catacoustic.com/tickets/
Have a lovely holiday season!
Annalisa Pappano
Artistic Director
