This ensemble, known for its performances on period instruments of Baroque music, was formed in Germany in 1973 by the violinist and conductor Reinhard Goebel who got together some of his fellow students from Cologne’s Conservatory of Music.
In the first years they concentrated their performances on sacred and Baroque works and in 1979 they made their debut in the UK when they performed in the English Bach Festival at the Queen Elizabeth Hall in London.
In 1981 they were named “Artist of the Year” by the Deutsche Phono-Akademie and made their debut in the USA and within a few years were also touring other international venues in China, South American and Australia.
In 1983 the ensemble was enlarged by adding further string and wind musicians so that they could start performing orchestral music.
In 1990 Reinhard Goebel developed tendonitis which led to him occasionally performing the violin left handed later on but forced him to give up his career as a violin soloist.
They made many Grand Prix Internationa du Disque, Diaposon d’or and Gramophone Award winning recordings, almost exclusively for Archiv Produktion, during their time together. Some of these include The Bach Family Before Johann Sebastian, Francois Couperin’s Les Nations, German Chamber Music Before Bach, George Frideric Handel: Marian Canraras and Arias, Johann David Heinichen: Dresden Concerti and Telemann: Tafelmusik and many more. They also received several Grammy nominations.
In recognition of their contribution to music they received an award from the State of Nordrhein-Wesfalen and were given the Buxtehude Prize from the City of Lubeck.
They disbanded in 2007 after featuring on more then 100 recordings that include some compilations and more than three decades. Reinhard Goebel went on to pursue conducting of larger orchestras.
Johann Pachelbel recordings
Hexichordum Appolinis (Arias & Variations)
Archiv 427 118-2 (CD: Buxtehude/Pachelbel Kammermusik, Chamber Music)
Johann Joachim Quantz Recordings
Concerto for 2 Flutes and Orchestra in G Major
Archiv 447 644 (CD: Concerti ‘pour l’orchestra di Dresda’)
Sources:
- http://www.allmusic.com/artist/musica-antiqua-k%C3%B6ln-mn0002269352
- http://www.bach-cantatas.com/Bio/Musica-Antiqua-Koln.htm
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Musica_Antiqua_K%C3%B6ln
- http://www.festivitas.ee/?id=2898
- http://em.oxfordjournals.org/content/41/1/173.extract
- http://www.allmusic.com/artist/musica-antiqua-k%C3%B6ln-mn0002269352/credits