Latest CD Release: Geminiani — Cello Sonatas
For Octavie and Artem, Francesco Geminiani’s music has been a cornerstone of their artistic journey, shaping their collaborations and latest recording. His improvisatory style—admired in England but considered too wild in Naples—inspires their approach, emphasizing rhythmic flexibility, ornamentation, and continuo improvisation. This program also explores basso continuo realization on the cello, a practice Geminiani documented, with a second cello, played by Victor García García, reinforcing harmonic textures. The result is a dynamic, interactive interpretation, capturing the extemporaneous spirit of 18th-century performance. Released on CD by Challenge Classics in 2024, this recording brings Geminiani’s inventive sound world to life.
About Postscript
Core members:
Aysha Wills, traverso
David Westcombe, traverso
Octavie Dostaler-Lalonde, cello
Artem Belogurov, harpsichord/fortepiano
Postscript is a flexible early music ensemble founded by Artem Belogurov, Octavie Dostaler-Lalonde, David Westcombe and Aysha Wills. Based in Amsterdam, the founders met during their studies at the Conservatorium. First prize-winner at the international Brothers Graun Competition (DE) in 2018, Postscript recorded for the labels TRPTK and Challenge Classics. The members of Postscript share a passion for exploring new ways to approach early music, through the use of historical research, experimentation and enriching artistic collaborations. They “seduce by their musical energy and simplicity” (Anne-Sandrine di Girolamo, Gang Flow), and always strive to create engaging and communicative performances where the audience feels at ease and close to the action.
This is an album of music from the Galant era, a term that covers a whole world of sins and rather than try to describe it, we’ve found some of our favourite examples and decided to present them to you here. This is our introduction of both Postscript and the music of the Galant period, and with Telemann as the central theme, we have chosen composers who complement, match or contrast with his style. You’ll hear his works throughout the programme, from the dark, ominous Largo of the Quartet that starts the performance to the more dance-like or lyrical pieces that follow.
Introductio:
Our first album.
Videos
Press
“We want to display our full range to you as clearly as possible.’ This is exactly what this album has to offer. But not without the keen ears and state-of-the-art equipment of TRPTK and producer Brendon Heinst. To concur: I don’t know any Baroque music recording better than this one. You’ll have to hear it to believe it. ★★★★★”
“The outstanding quality of these performances owes much to the long-time partnership Dostaler-Lalonde has forged with harpsichordist and continuo cellist Victor García. This creates an intuitive reaction which lends a delicious spontaneity to their interpretations.
Performance: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Recording: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★”
“I really like this one! ★★★★★”
“All in all it’s an inspiring voyage of discovery, sublimely recorded by the engineers of the young label TRPTK.”
