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"The players of New York's Aulos Ensemble were fluid singers all, their
lines never losing clarity or shape, always sounding flexible and
spontaneous. This was authentic Baroque performance at its best."
The New York Times
"Just like its Dickensian namesake, The Aulos Ensemble's concert last night, titled "A Tale of Two Cities" rolled out London and Paris as backdrops for some of the most dramatic human expression the world has known. Performed by some of the finest period-instrument players around, last night's concert in Capital University's Mees Hall opened the 2014-15 Early Music in Columbus season with interpretations of utmost refinement."
"The suites showcase a generous diversity of styles and genres, introduced by the
hauntingly sparse musettes and soaringly beautiful menuet from Les Fêtes d'hébé and concluding with the majestic chaconne and jubilant tambourins
of Les Indes galantes. The performers exhibit a masterfully controlled sense
of ensemble throughout, and their precisely articulated delivery breathes
with Rameau's subtly dramatic phrasal undulations. The effect is exquisite."
"The quintet by JC Bach opens the program and it is enthralling. The other
chamber works are also joyously good. The sound is warm and the playing
spirited and sensitive. There's no doubt that this is music you'll be eager to
play or hear again."
"The Aulos Ensemble have produced in this recording one of the most elegant and delightful collections of Christmas music to have graced my stereo system in some years. Beautifully programmed and masterfully played, this is a disc of rather constant delights. Amongst an entire disc of attractive music, there are some definite standouts. It is perhaps in the instrumental selections that the group shines brightest. Of particular merit are the two lovely works by Michel Corrette, and the delightful excerpts from Rameau's Les Fêtes d'hébé. I was also particularly enamored of the lovely renditions of the traditional carols. The arrangements were lively and varied, and performed with a graceful simplicity that was most fetching. Julianne Baird has at this point in her career achieved near legendary status as a singer of early music. In this recording she sings with an elegant sweetness that is most pleasant to the ear."
"This work {Acis and Galatea} is a little gem and Aulos polished it to a high luster. The Aulos players were their usual expert selves. In all, it was an utter delight. If the performers had changed their minds and offered a second run-through after all, many of the loudly appreciative audience members would surely have stayed to hear it again."
"The Aulos Ensemble, together since 1973, helped solidify today's period-instrument movement in this country. The group's five instrumentalists long ago mastered their instruments and the strict bounds of style and convention in 18th century music. Audiences who entered that refined world of music on Monday were treated to an evening of lively phrasing and dashing ensemble work, in partnership with distinguished soprano Julianne Baird. Baird, who for years has set the standard for Baroque singing, was at her best in the slower music, which allowed her to phrase with grace and poise, spinning out notes with a lovingly extended tone. 'Bist du bei mir' was a highlight of the evening , an exquisite meditation on faith in the face of death."
"Julianne Baird and her frequent collaborator, the period-instrument group The Aulos Ensemble, offer some of the fruits of their many Christmas concerts together in a pleasingly varied, Baroque-focused program of vocal and instrumental works. Corrette's Noel Provencal, an instrumental number that closes the disc, is a wild, wonderful, colorful rustic dance that leaves you smiling and uplifted, a perfect complement to the opening In Dulci Jubilo."
"The Aulos Ensemble at its best produced utterly compelling results. The
poise and fantasy in the Largo of Vivaldi's Concerto in G minor was one of
those magical moments that makes concert-going a worthy adventure. The
sweetness of the old oboe was delightful all night. So too was flutist
Christopher Krueger's playing of Vivaldi's Concerto "del Gardellino". The
gently beautiful sonorities of his wooden flauto traverso were enchanting
on its own. His inflection of solo lines was artistry of the highest order.
The concert reached a superb finale with Bach's Suite No. 1 for Orchestra,
played one-to-a part with lively but not rushed tempos."
"The performances were by far the most exhilarating examples of Baroque
playing that these ears have heard. Schachman's realization of Handel's D major Concerto a Quattro was played with a warmth, a gentility and a singing quality that cannot be surpassed."
"Without question, the ensemble is among our very finest. Its baroque
instruments are played with impeccable intonation and superb togetherness,
and with that vitality, variety, and personality rare not only for
Telemann, but for us, too. There are minds and hearts at work here, at
last liberated from the instrumental method books of the 18th century."
"Over the past 16 years the Aulos Ensemble has established an enviable
reputation as a pioneering period-instruments group, not only exploring
widely the literature of Baroque chamber music, but setting a rarely
matched standard for stylistic expertise and artistic vibrancy."
"American group gets 'A' in French. The Aulos Ensemble takes its name from
a Greek woodwind instrument, but the American group connected to the spirit
and style of the French baroque in its delightful concert Sunday at the
Cleveland Museum of Art. In the Indian suite, the musicians had fun
painting the composer's tone portraits of "Les Sauvages","Les Esclaves
africains", Les Incas du Perou". and other exotic subjects. In pieces
about warriors marching and a rose blowing in the wind, the players created
vivid imagery. With the fanfares of the Chaconne and the gleaming
merriment of "Tambourins", they lifted the royal music to a shining summit
worthy of the Sun King."
"The Aulos Ensemble's playing is so untroubled and brilliant, so perfect,
so absolute! It is the highest level of musicmaking"
"Last night's concert by The Aulos Ensemble in Dallas Brooks Hall can be
reviewed in only one way-with joy and unreserved enthusiasm. The program
was played not only with a consummate mastery of style but a gentleness and
grace that will long be remembered. It was, in fact, one of the most
delightful concerts of the year"
"The Aulos Ensemble has been together since 1973, helping to pioneer
today's period-instrument movement. Thanks to groups such as Aulos,
performances on early instruments no longer seem exotic or experimental.
Those who entered that refined world of music Sunday were treated to an
afternoon of elegance and surprising variety."
"The Aulos Ensemble's recording has me scurrying for superlatives. What can
I say? The music is wonderful; the scholarship exemplary; the performances
distinguished."
"The most distinguished aspect of the evening was the exemplary matching of
inflection, phrasing, ornamentation, and feeling by the members of The
Aulos Ensemble"
"Topping the list is 'A Baroque Christmas from the Metropolitan Museum of
Art' with Julianne Baird and The Aulos Ensemble. Baird remains a
captivating exponent of early music and her cool soprano is heard at its
most serene. The five-member period-instrument consort, which frequently
performs at the Metropolitan in New York, delivers wonderfully stylish and
imaginative accompaniments. A great selection!"
"Aulos Ensemble is joyfully Baroque". The shift to authentic instruments or
copies of same for the playing of Baroque and other early music has become
prevalent today. Whether it is a good idea may be open to question but
doubts vanish when the performing group is The Aulos Ensemble. In addition
to the high quality of the performances-possibly attributable to
instrumental specialization- a major asset was their apparent joy in
performing."
"The Aulos Ensemble applied impeccable craftsmanship to intimately acquaint
a Charleston Chamber Music Society audience with music of the Baroque era.
For the lovers of Baroque music, Saturday's concert was a jewel. For those
never initiated, it was an experience to be remembered. Overall, it was a
accepted as a special presentation by the Chamber Music Society of great,
expertly played music"
"The readings were uniformly dynamic and filled with grand sweep.
Precision, coupled with excellent intonation, characterized the entire
program and culminated in a Vivaldi concerto of outstanding ensemble
phrasing, lovely solo statements and jovial drive."
"The annual concerts by the Aulos Ensemble in front of the Neapolitan
Christmas tree in the Medieval Sculpture Hall of the Metropolitan Museum of
Art have become one of the most charming musical celebrations of the season
in New York"
"A group of instrumentalists who play baroque music in a manner that
compoungs skill, high spirits, and good information"
"All of them are rendered with remarkable virtuosity and elegance of detail
by the members of The Aulos Ensemble. The melodies are clear and incisive,
and there's a rhythmic flexibility to the performances that lets the music
breathe. This is the rare Telemann recording that simply refuses to
function as background music--the music sounds so splendid that it compels
attention"
"The Aulos players are accomplished both as individuals and as team
members, and, of course, the make-up of the Ensemble permits a wide variety
of instrumental experiences. Aulos brings a skill and intelligence to its
music that are both unusual and refreshing. MHS's digital recording is
intimate and natural. The album is a pleasure throughout, and will
certainly be among the selections I am considering for our year-end
summary; it gets my highest recommendation."
"Full of an Irresistible Rhythmic Life" It may be some indication of the
quality, substance, and beauty of 'An Evening in the Home of J.S. Bach', a
concert given recently in the Main Theater of the University of California,
Davis, by the touring Aulos Ensemble, that one left with the thought: If
only Bach could have been there to hear it. There was warmth and cheer
aplenty in the performing, plus a musicianship and a sense of style that
surely would have gladdened the composer."
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Email: Personal Representation: Marc Schachman Home | History | Artist Profiles | Discography | Excerpts from the Press Aulos in the 21st Century | Media | Sample Programs | The Centaur Series Special Presentations: A Baroque Christmas | Acis and Galatea | Handel's Water Music |
"The Aulos Ensemble with Julianne Baird, the yearly ornament in front of
the Neapolitan Christmas Tree, is joined by Drew Minter. If it has to be
just one Christmas concert, this is it!"
"Aulos Ensemble leaves audience spellbound. Music like that played by the
Aulos Ensemble and sung by soprano Julianne Baird in Saturday evening's
concert makes one wonder why composers ever moved beyond the perfection of
the Baroque. The program was that spellbinding. The members of the new
York early-music ensemble played with precision, yet with a tenderness
altogether appropriate for their music."