The English Concert
One of England's earlier period-instrument ensembles devoted to Baroque repertory, The English Concert remains a premier orchestra. The group's bright, lively sound has influenced several generations of Baroque ensembles, and it has spawned several important careers.
The English Concert was founded by harpsichordist Trevor Pinnock in 1972 when he gathered a group of seven players to explore Baroque repertory. The ensemble grew as more players showed interest, and by the following year, it had assumed its current orchestral shape, with about 20 players. The English Concert made its debut in 1973 at the English Bach Festival, and its sound, fresh at the time with Bach-era historical instruments and little string vibrato, made a splash and led to the group's signing with Archiv Produktion, the historical-performance arm of the Deutsche Grammophon label. In 1983, the group established the English Concert Choir, and since then, the massed ensemble has frequently performed 18th century choral works. The English Concert's sound was largely defined by Pinnock, who conducted from the harpsichord; he remained the group's music director until 2003 when he was succeeded by violinist Andrew Manze. Harpsichordist Harry Bicket succeeded Manze in 2007 and remains music director. The English Concert has performed frequently at major London venues, including Wigmore Hall, Cadogan Hall, and the BBC Proms, and has made several foreign tours, including a 25th-Anniversary tour of Asia. The ensemble has shown a flair for popularizing historical-instrument performances; under Manze, the group re-created the original performance of Handel's Water Music on a barge in the Thames River for a performance recorded by the BBC and issued in DVD form.
The English Concert is perhaps best known for its recordings, which as of 2021, numbered well over 130, with as many as a half-dozen albums appearing in a single year. The group's contract with Archiv continued for many years; Manze made several albums with the orchestra on Harmonia Mundi, and it has also recorded for Decca, Deutsche Grammophon, and other labels. In 2021, The English Concert backed a production of Handel's opera Rodelinda, recorded on the Linn label.
© James Manheim /TiVo
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Corelli: 6 Concertos Grosso Op.6
The English Concert, Trevor Pinnock
Classical - Released by Deutsche Grammophon (DG) on Jan 1, 1988
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Beauty Of The Baroque
Danielle de Niese, The English Concert, Harry Bicket
Classical - Released by Decca Music Group Ltd. on Jan 1, 2011
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Bach: The Harpsichord Concertos
The English Concert, Trevor Pinnock
Classical - Released by Archiv Produktion on Jan 1, 1981
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Purcell: Dido and Aeneas
Classical - Released by Archiv Produktion on Jan 1, 1989
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Handel: Orchestral Works
The English Concert, Trevor Pinnock
Classical - Released by Deutsche Grammophon (DG) on Jan 1, 1987
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Haydn: Concertos for Oboe, Trumpet & Harpsichord
Classical - Released by Deutsche Grammophon (DG) on Jan 1, 1992
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Bach, J.S.: Brandenburg Concertos Nos.1 - 3
The English Concert, Trevor Pinnock
Classical - Released by Deutsche Grammophon (DG) on Feb 24, 2003
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Bach, J.S.: Brandenburg Concertos Nos.4 - 6
The English Concert, Trevor Pinnock
Classical - Released by Deutsche Grammophon (DG) on Jan 1, 2008
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Handel: 5 Organ Concertos, HWV 290, 295, 308, 309, 310
Simon Preston, The English Concert, Trevor Pinnock
Classical - Released by Archiv Produktion on Jan 1, 1984
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Purcell, Locke, Blow & Gibbons (Wigmore Hall Live)
The English Concert, Rosemary Joshua, Sarah Connolly, Harry Bicket
Symphonic Music - Released by WIGMORE HALL on Jun 9, 2017
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Vivaldi: Concertos for the Emperor
The English Concert and Andrew Manze
Violin Concertos - Released by harmonia mundi on Jan 10, 2006
24-Bit 88.2 kHz - Stereo -
Corelli: 12 Concerti Grossi Op. 6
The English Concert, Trevor Pinnock
Classical - Released by Archiv Produktion on Jan 1, 1983
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Pachelbel: Canon & Gigue / Handel: The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba
The English Concert, Trevor Pinnock
Classical - Released by Archiv Produktion on Jan 1, 1985
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Purcell: King Arthur
The English Concert, Trevor Pinnock
Classical - Released by Archiv Produktion on Jan 1, 1992
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Christmas Concertos
The English Concert, Trevor Pinnock
Classical - Released by Archiv Produktion on Jan 1, 1991
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Bach, J.S.: Violin Concertos BWV 1041 & 1042; Double Concerto BWV 1043
Simon Standage, Elizabeth Wilcock, The English Concert, Trevor Pinnock
Classical - Released by Archiv Produktion on Jan 1, 1983
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
William Boyce: 8 Symphonies
The English Concert, Trevor Pinnock
Classical - Released by Archiv Produktion on May 4, 1987
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The English Concert - The World of Handel
Georg Friedrich Händel, The English Concert
Classical - Released by UME - Global Clearing House on Aug 22, 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Handel: Coronation Anthems; Concerti a Due Cori
The English Concert, Trevor Pinnock, The Choir Of Westminster Abbey, Simon Preston
Classical - Released by Archiv Produktion on Jan 1, 1995
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Handel: Dettingen Te Deum; Dettingen Anthem
The English Concert, Simon Preston, The Choir Of Westminster Abbey, Trevor Pinnock
Classical - Released by Deutsche Grammophon (DG) on Jan 1, 1984
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Bach, J.S.: Concerto for Flute, Violin, Harpsichord, and Strings in A Minor, BWV 1044; Brandenburg Concerto No in D Minor, BWV, 1050
The English Concert, Trevor Pinnock
Classical - Released by Deutsche Grammophon (DG) on Apr 21, 2023
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo