Musica Antiqua Köln

Reinhard Goebel established Musica Antiqua Köln in 1973. The group specialized in Baroque repertory performed on historical instruments and showed a consistent preference for overlooked or rarely heard works. Numerous strong-selling releases succeeded without relying on familiar composers and helped revive interest in figures such as Heinichen through the 1993 concerti recording and Veracini through the 1994 Overture disc. Goebel demonstrated equal boldness by selecting unfamiliar material and by adopting unconventional tempos in familiar pieces; the ensemble’s account of the finale from Bach’s Third Brandenburg Concerto, for example, moved at a previously unmatched speed supported by clear musicological justification.

The founding roster listed Goebel and Hajo Bass as violinists alongside Eva Bartos on viola da gamba, yet membership shifted repeatedly, leaving Goebel as the sole constant member. Bartos appeared on recordings only through 1977 and was succeeded by Jonathan Cable and Charles Medlam. Jaap ter Linden became the most frequent cellist or gambist by 1980; Phoebe Carrai assumed that role in the mid-1980s. Goebel’s successive violin colleagues included Hajo Bass, Manfredo Kremer, and Florian Deuter. Several musicians who departed went on to prominent careers, among them harpsichordists Andreas Staier and Robert Hill, violinists Hajo Bass and Manfredo Kraemer, bowed-bass players Charles Medlam and Jaap ter Linden, and flutist Wilbert Hazelzet.

In 1990 tendinitis ended Goebel’s solo career; his final recording as soloist was the 1990 set of Heinrich Biber’s Rosenkranz sonatas. He thereafter confined himself to direction, occasionally returning to the violin in a left-handed capacity. Although the ensemble maintained an active schedule of concerts and recordings, its strongest achievements date from before the injury. The group disbanded in 2007.