Michael Cooper asks:

>Anyone know anything about this composer?

I consider Zelenka a wonderful composer from the high baroque period.
In fact, if Bach and Handel had never been born, Zelenka would be my
favorite baroque composer.  Why?  Melodies that stick in the mind, deep
emotional content, expert architecture, and quite a bit of harmonic
adventure.  Zelenka is always surprising and compelling.

There are quite a few Zelenka recordings on the market and run the
gamut from chamber music to sacred choral works.  He can be found on BIS,
Claves, Hyperion, Supraphon, etc.  I'm partial to his choral music, but
the orchestral and chamber works have also been well received by critics.
Since Michael greatly enjoyed a Zelenka trio sonata, I think it's fair
to say that he will be very pleased with the entire Zelenka discography.

Don Satz
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