Frans Brüggen (1934-2014)

Frans Brüggen, the Dutch flutist-recorder player and conductor who was one of the singular figures in the historically informed, period-instruments movement, has died at 79 after years of poor health.

In the 1960s and ’70s, Brüggen was a leading revivalist of the recorder in baroque repertory, and a frequent collaborator with the likes of Gustav Leonhardt and Nikolaus Harnoncourt in pioneering recordings of early music.

In 1981, Brüggen co-founded the Orchestra of the 18th Century, and led the ensemble in numerous performances and memorable recordings, notably of the Haydn and Beethoven symphonies and choral and orchestral works of Johann Sebastian Bach.

An obituary in The Guardian:

http://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/aug/14/frans-bruggen-dutch-conductor-orchestra-of-the-18th-century