Francesco Corti leads the prolific period-instrument orchestra from the harpsichord in a program centering composers belonging to the generation of the Empfindsamer Stil or “Sentimental Style.” Following the High Baroque style of JS Bach and Handel, the composers of the next generation explored contrast and extreme juxtapositions in their music. This avant-garde style remained in fashion for only a short period, but anticipated many of the features of early Romanticism. The three harpsichord concertos—two by Georg Benda and one by JS Bach’s eldest son, Wilhelm Friedemann Bach— featured on The Age of Extremes exemplify the Empfindsamer style, oscillating between excitement and melancholy, furious frenzy, and serene calm.