Wisps in the Dell

In the late-classical era, an Edinburgh publisher commissioned the most famous composers in continental Europe to orchestrate traditional Scottish folk songs in their original English. A lush sampling of this music is performed here by Makaris, a new early-music super-group (made up of members of ACRONYM and New Vintage Baroque, among others), and headed by soprano Fiona Gillespie. Included are song arrangements by Haydn and Weber, the first recordings of arrangements by Pleyel and Hummel, the first English-language recording of a Scottish ballad by Schubert, instrumental variations by Kuhlau and Clementi, and never-before-heard alternate versions of songs by Beethoven, along with a world premiere by Makaris bassist Doug Balliett.