Brandenburg Concerto No. 1 in F Major, BWV 1046 for 2 horns, 3 oboes, bassoon, violino piccolo, strings and continuo
Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 in F major, BWV 1047 for flauto dolce, oboe, trumpet, violin, strings and continuo
Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 in G major, BWV 1048 for 3 violins, 3 violas, 3 cellos and continuo (contrabass and harpsichord)
Brandenburg Concerto No. 4 in G major, BWV 1049 for violin, 2 flauto dolce, strings and Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 in D major, BWV 1050 for flute, violin, harpsichord and strings
Brandenburg Concerto No. 6 in B flat major, BWV 1051 for 2 violas, 2 viola da gambas, Harpsichord Concerto in D minor, BWV 1052
Harpsichord Concerto in F minor, BWV 1056
Violin Concerto in D minor, BWV 1052 (reconstruction)

Apollo’s Fire, the Cleveland Baroque Orchestra founded in 1992 by award-winning harpsichordist and conductor Jeannette Sorrell, launches a major new association with Avie with this release of varied works by J. S. Bach, together with an album of works by Mozart (AV 2159), that exemplify “the intense detailing Sorrell and company bring to music from the Baroque and Classical eras.” (The Cleveland Plain Dealer). These vibrant performances feature popular repertoire brought together in pairings that have not appeared on disc before: the ever-popular Brandenburg Concertos uniquely coupled with two Harpsichord Concertos, one of which is also presented in a reconstruction for violin.

Taking its name from the classical god of music and the sun, Apollo’s Fire is dedicated to the performance of 17th- and 18th-century music on period instruments. Founder and Music Director Jeannette Sorrell and her ensemble of dynamic and creative early-music artists from North America and Europe have been praised internationally for stylistic freshness and buoyancy, animated spontaneity, technical excellence, and creative programming. An award-winning harpsichordist and conductor, Sorrell studied with Gustav Leonhardt in Amsterdam and Leonard Bernstein at Tanglewood. Praised for its “temperament and personality” by The New York Times, the ensemble will embark on its first European tour in November 2010, performing in Spain, the Netherlands and the UK.

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Brandenburg Concertos: Recorded October 1999 and February 2000 (Concerto No. 6); Harpsichord and Violin Concertos: Recorded October 2002 (tracks 4 – 6), May 2004 (tracks 7 – 9), February 2005 St. Paul’s Church, Cleveland Heights, Ohio