I've been listening to Zelenka

The Zelenka: Trio Sonatas Nos. 1-6 on the ECM record label, considered "essential" by the Zelanka fanatics at the Discover Zelenka website. More than 150 CDs have been recorded of Zelenka's music. 

Well-known composers such as J.S. Bach, Handel and Vivaldi were not the only good composers of the Baroque period. As I blogged earlier, Robert Anton Wilson in some of his works sought to call attention to Jan Dismas Zelenka (1679-1745), a Czech composer. Much of his vocal and instrumental music survives, and much of it has been recorded in recent years as part of a Zelenka revival.

I recently ran across the Discover Zelenka fan site, which is particularly useful for the "Must Hear Works" and "Recommended CDs" sections. Much of this is available on the various streaming service and YouTube, and I have used the recommendations to bookmark recordings at public library streaming music sites such as Hoopla Digital and Freegal. As there is no confirmed portrait of Zelenka avaialable, I've illustrated this blog posted with a well-reviewed recording of Dismas' trio sonatas, a 2-CD set from ECM that I've been listening to this week on Hoopla.