Tempesta Di Mare - Comédie et tragédie, Vol. 2 (2016)

The Baroque orchestra Tempesta di Mare, based in Philadelphia, has been one of the few American early music ensembles to gain attention in Britain and continental Europe, recording for the British label Chandos and appearing at a variety of European festivals. The ensemble was named after the several Vivaldi concertos named La Tempesta di Mare (The Storm at Sea). Tempesta di Mare was founded in 1996 by recorderist/flutist Gwyn Roberts and lutenist Richard Stone, who remain the group's co-directors. In performance, however, the group performs instrumental music without a conductor -- impressive in that depending on the instrumentation of the work performed, its membership may be as high as 35 players. The group has diverged sharply from the U.S. preference for established Baroque works, in 2002 launching a Philadelphia Concert Series devoted to modern premieres of Baroque works: more than 30 have been presented. Tempesta di Mare has performed at the Oregon Bach Festival, the Flagler Museum in Florida, the Miami Bach Festival, and the Frick Collection; abroad their appearances have included the Prague Spring Music Festival, the International Fasch Festival in Zerbst, Germany, and the Göttingen Handel Festival. In 2017, they launched a Telemann 360° series that included pop-up concerts in Philadelphia gardens, pubs, museums, and boats, as well as events that approached the German composer's production from multiple perspectives. Tempesta di Mare made its debut on Chandos in 2007 with the album Handel: Flaming Rose, which was devoted to the composer's German-language sacred arias: an obscure corner of his output for a first-time recording in a high-pressure situation. They have continued to record for Chandos and its Chaconne imprint, releasing Johann Gottlieb Janitsch: Rediscoveries from the Sara Levy Collection on the latter label in 2018; like many of their other recordings, the album focused on repertory that had never before been performed. ~ James Manheim