Over the past thirty years, interest in Baroque music has increased considerably. Works such as Vivaldi's "The Four Seasons" are particularly popular, while Pachelbel's Canon and Albinoni's famous "Adagio" can be found in many CD collections. Bach's Air became widely known through a popular television commercial, and Charpentier's Te Deum serves as the well-known opening theme of the Eurovision Song Contest.
This increased interest in this genre has led to a greater use of 18th-century instruments. They allow for a revival of old performance traditions, which many listeners find refreshing. Numerous compositions from this period resemble 20th-century popular music in terms of bass lines, rhythm, and melody, and even show parallels to jazz.
Forms such as the rondeau with its repeating theme, the bass line, the passacaglia, and the chaconne are particularly common. The selection compiled here consists of my favorite 'Baroque pop' pieces. All but one of the tracks were recorded specifically for this collection. Despite some logistical challenges, the program sequence has been arranged to allow for a seamless listening experience – if desired.