Jordi Savall Essentials

As a recitalist, this Spanish star helped to rescue the rich sound of the six-stringed viola da gamba from Baroque obscurity. As a conductor, he's led vibrant performances of neglected Vivaldi operas, as well as more familiar works by Bach (including the Musical Offering and the Brandenburg Concertos). With his improv-skilled ensemble Hespèrion XXI, this early-music titan has also played a welcome curatorial role when investigating the legacy of medieval and Renaissance motifs from Spain and Syria.