Even we are in the 21st century; there are still a lot of sound fields and undiscovered "magical moments" left in the music by our ancestors. Sting has undoubtedly discovered some of them! Baroque in 2009? Yes, please!
On 27, October 2009 (in the United States) was released the 9th studio album "If on a Winter's Night" from the British musician Sting. According to me, one of the best release in "Winter Albums" (not Christmas) category, and maybe the best work he's ever done. It contains 15 tracks, themes and songs from the 17th century. Sting with this album introduces the traditional music of Great Britain and Scandinavia worldwide. I would say rich quality musicianship and knowledge by all of the people that took a part in this masterpiece.
Sting uses a lot of instruments in the album. However, every track includes bass guitar, acoustic guitar (which brings natural, intimate sound), percussions and some backing vocals. He also uses violins, cellos trumpets, mandolins, trombone, trumpet, tuba, Harmonium, etc. Sting creates a pure British "baroque" traditional sound. For the Billboard Interview, he said: It's the biggest band I ever had for playing the quietest music in my career.
The Baroque elements such as pulse and precise rhythm, strict dynamic, form and tempo(no rubato), variations with repetitions, coloraturas are reserved and included in the Album. The singing is phenomenal, typical for a baroque singer (especially the phrasings and coloraturas): close intervals, the phrasing, chromatics, etc.
"If on a Winter's Night" also had some bad critics, but I personally think that is because people expected a rock album or some kind of a sound that Sting achieved with "The Police" rather than something different, something unique, unusual and uncommon.
Sting is one of the best musicians that has ever lived. He is an example of an artist that is not just a rock or jazz or whatever singer for his whole career. He is a "sailor" and "explorer" of the music, not afraid to go deep into any genre. He just dives in and let himself go, wherever the ship goes. One of my favorite Sting quotes is “Whether you are a rock star, whether you are a welder in a shipyard or tribesman in Amazon or the queen of England at the end of the day we are all in the same boat.”
