For pushing 30 years Richard Gwilt played pretty much full time with London Baroque. The ensemble has finally dissolved - and what follows is now history! On the other hand, the recordings are still available, and something of which I remain very proud.
With over twenty years under its belt, London
Baroque enjoys the position of being one of the most experienced
and long-lived baroque chamber groups around. London Baroque
remains loved and appreciated by audiences as much today as twenty
years ago. "We are used to the high standard of these players.
The tireless variation of phrasing and dynamics of the individual
parts, the perfectly coordinated agogic detail together with the
highly imaginative approach lead to wonderfully lively
music-making", (Aug 2001)
"... the performances were immaculately controlled, at all
times a delight to the ear -- supple, flexible playing which
touched the heights of virtuosity and the depths of emotion"
(Financial Times, 1980)
London Baroque continues to give vital and enriching performances with all the technical perfection and musical maturity their public has come to expect.
They have performed in most of the major European festivals, appeared frequently on TV and radio the world over, and tour regularly in Japan and the USA. Their repertoire spans a period from the end of the sixteenth century up to Mozart and Haydn with works of virtually unknown composers next to familiar masterpieces of the baroque and early classical eras.
London Baroque chanhed recording company to BIS in 1999 (after a long and fruitful collaboration with Harmonia Mundi France) and subsequent releases received great critical acclaim; "Sympathetic and alert... with some finely poetic playing. These performances seem to me model." (Gramophone, Sept 2001) and "They have never made a better disc and neither have I heard a superior performance of any Handel trio sonata." (Goldberg, July 2001) -- both of their disc with Emma Kirkby of Handel sacred cantatas. And of their relase of Vivaldi Op. 1 trio sonatas; "London Baroque bring their customary virtues to these performances, including excellent internal rapport and blend, a richly mined string tone, passion and intensity." (Gramophone, March 2001)