Day Trip to Tripunithura Hill Palace

Tripunithura Hill Palace is a large palace complex with 49 buildings spread over 54 acres of prime land in Tripunithura on Hill Palace Road. Built in 1865 by the Maharaja of Cochin it was the official residence of the royal family. In 1980, the palace changed hands to the Department of Archaeology (Government of Kerala) who converted it into an archaeological museum and opened its gates to the public in 1986. To get to Hill Palace from Kakkanad, turn left at Karingachira junction from Seaport-Airport road and travel around 500m to the entrance on the left – NH49 merges into Seaport-Airport road at Irumpanam junction and you are on NH49 until you get to the palace entrance. The museum timings are 9 AM - 12:30 PM and 2:00 PM - 4:30 PM all days except Mondays. The Childrens Park in the campus is also open from 4:30 PM – 6 PM.

When we reached the gates by 9AM, a small crowd was forming at the gates. Gates opened around 9:05 AM and there was a rush to the ticket counter at the building to the left. As with most places in Kerala, here also lines (queue) are only starting to get enforced but we managed to get our tickets quickly as some did not know where the counter was. Locating the ticket counters outside the entrance and insisting on a proper queue could have alleviated some of the confusion. Tickets are Rs 20 adults, Rs 10 kids (5-12), and Rs 20 for camera and parking. One can always park for free outside on the road surrounding the palace. Parking inside gives the advantage of parking closer to the main palace building. Video camera is allowed but is priced at Rs 1500, probably a legacy from olden times. Wide steps spanning a distance of around 300 meters lead to the museum entrance in the main palace building. Photography is prohibited inside the main building. All personal belongings and footwear need to be kept in the locker and/or in the outside cubicles – free but a small donation (Rs 2 or so) is recommended.

The main building has 14 categories of exhibits – highlights include murals, paintings, sculptures, manuscripts written on coconut leaves, jewelry, inscriptions, carvings, old coins, etc. The jewelry section is the only air-conditioned room in the building and hosts the 1.75 kg gold crown presented by the King of Portugal – the Kochi Maharajahs had received a number of such crowns but they were never worn, as these crowns were too ornate for their simple lifestyle. Pallaks (carriage for royalty that is carried around by four or more people) and Weapons Gallery is in an adjacent building – shoes and cameras are allowed inside these buildings but photography is off the list – best to empty the locker in the main building before walking over to this adjacent building. Near these two main buildings, are a few other buildings including the office of the center for heritage studies, which are not open to the public.

Aside from the exhibits in the two buildings, there are other options to pursue as time allows. The walkway leads to the giant dinosaur model and a nice picnic area. Further down is a deer park that showcases a large collection of deers including the Sambar and the Spotted Deer. At the end of the pathway is a partial jogging track that marks most of the boundary of the palace complex. Not many people venture out there and maintenance of the track is below par. Nevertheless it is a good option to appreciate the flora around the palace buildings – trees with strong vines abound (Tarzan anyone?) and the path was dotted with Manchadi Kurus (a beautiful red seed). The palace grounds also host a small horticultural area (royal heritage plant nursery) where local plants can be had for reasonable prices.

The area around the park has a large pond sorely in need of maintenance. The small information hut has limited services and offers some tourism related books for sale but no curios. The snack bar adjacent to the ticket counter serves ice creams and such – seating is limited to a few chairs in the outside corridor. A popular childrens park and play area suitable for young kids is also in an area close to the entrance – the park has a few small rides, slides, and swings. The park also offers horse rides around the park periphery for Rs 30. Our kids enjoyed the ride and the horse seemed to be well cared for.

Overall, we highly recommend visiting this palace complex, especially for families with young kids. There are plenty of options to spend half a day or more and as with most government run attractions in Kerala; pricing is nominal for tickets and other services. The staffs in the complex were generally friendly and helpful, although they have ways to go to be considered above average in the hospitality industry.

Global Public School (GPS) vs Bay Farm Elementary - Comparative Review: R2I - Schooling For Kids

Bay Farm Elementary School in Alameda where our children were enrolled at the time of relocation (2010 May) was considered among the best public schools in its category in California in terms of API state rankings. In fact, our prime concern in relocating was how the children will adapt to the totally different Kerala environment. To our pleasant surprise, the new school experience was an unbelievable upgrade and they thrived in their first year. When we scouted for school options in the Kochi metropolitan area in the 2008 time frame, the nearby options were Rajagiri Christhu Jayanti and Marthoma Public School, both in Kakkanad. It is a given, getting admission to these schools involves a certain level of influence, especially when enrollment is sought for grades other than the first grade. One can still apply, but openings come by only if currently enrolled students’ leave for whatever reason or they add a new division for a particular grade. At least, that was the impression imparted to us when we visited these schools. Further, the prospective students are subjected to an assessment test in language and science skills. Our kids stood no chance in acing these, for they had zero training in Indian languages (Malayalam and Hindi), French or Special English. Most students trying to relocate from the USA is faced with this classic dilemma. Rumor has it that with the right kind of influence and money, one can easily get into most of these schools, but that is uncharted territory for us. Our next option was to seek admission in one of the many International Schools in the vicinity. The well-known ones are Choice School, Global Public School (GPS), and Dawn Public School. We focused on GPS for two reasons:

• Being a newer school meant little more ease in getting in
• A friend who relocated few years earlier recommended it.

Fees at the International Schools are higher as they cater more towards Non-Resident Indians (NRI). Further, their assessment factors in students relocating from abroad. Below is the fee structure for our kids (elementary) for 2010. The fees went up in the 15-20% range overall for 2011 and another 20% range in 2012, well above the 8% inflation level:

This compares to around Rs 15K and Rs 20K respectively for annual fees at Marthoma Public School and Rajagiri Christu Jayanthi respectively (2010). Choice Schools was around 25% higher compared to GPS overall. GPS offers both CBSE, and ICGSE options from grade 9 onwards.

A number of factors contributed to the kids preferring GPS in Kerala to the schooling in Bay Farm Elementary School in the Bay Area. Below is a summary:

1. The staff at GPS takes at-least a peripheral effort to keep the students and parents content. While this is true at Bay Farm Elementary too, as it is state run, the establishment functions pretty much as a government organization with woeful service levels.
2. Teachers at Bay Farm survive on volunteering from parents. In a wealthy community like Bay Farm Island, where parents who do not need to work for a living are aplenty, this cry for help is a welcome outlet. Hence on any given day and time, it is normal to see two or more parent volunteers in the classroom. While this may be considered a blessing by many parents, the downside is the immense pressure on families where both parents work – it is hard to put in volunteer hours but if you don’t, you run the risk of your kids feeling left out. Besides, there is no reason that a teacher responsible for a small group (20 students) needs hand holding in doing her job in the classroom – makes one wonder why employees in other fields are not incapable of doing their own work??? Parent volunteering thankfully is a foreign concept at GPS. We checked with the kids specifically on this aspect and they expressed relief that parents are absent in their school space.
3. As with most public schools in the Bay Area, a single teacher is responsible for a class at Bay Farm Elementary. The students are subjected to the same teacher for all subjects throughout the school year. The downside with this approach is that many teachers give priority to their area of expertise when teaching. For example, if a teacher is inclined towards Art, invariably that is what the kids in her classroom will learn most. GPS, on the other hand has a teacher for each subject. When questioned on this approach, the kids expressed their appreciation in being able to interact with different teachers throughout the school year.
4. The facility and the environment at GPS was a big upgrade to the kids. They loved the fact that swimming is part of the curriculum, being foodies they relish the decent breakfast that is provided to all, and the two-hour optional extra-curricular session were students can choose to train in two activities throughout the school year.
5. At GPS, covering the curriculum and following standardized testing procedures is mandatory. While this is theoretically true at Bay Farm Elementary too, in reality only a small percentage of the material is covered in class, claiming students are having a tough time with the rest. The net effect is that a small section of the students who can learn on their own or have access to other resources surge ahead while the rest are fed a hodge-podge of selected topics. The issue is further worsened as students are not required to own textbooks – the pricing for new textbooks are upwards of $70 and as such only a handful of students ultimately end up purchasing them.
6. Since GPS is a private enterprise, teachers have to perform. This is a big change compared to teachers in Bay Farm, a public school – in effect, there is zero accountability, although efforts are being made to change this. Most teachers are geared towards teaching perfect kids. The notion of being a perfect teacher to kids of different ability is an unfamiliar concept to most of the staff and parent volunteers.

Related Posts:

1. Global Public School (GPS) vs Bay Farm Elementary - Comparative Review: R2I - Schooling for Kids.
2. Global Public School (GPS) - Three Year Mark Update: R2I - Schooling for Kids.


Last Updated: 04/2013.

Carnival of Road to Financial Independence #33

Welcome to the July 19, 2011 edition of road to financial independence.

Frugal Living

Jessica Bosari presents Learning to Shop By Spending What You Sell | billeater.com posted at Billeater, saying, "Buying only what you can sell keep you from overspending."



Super Saver presents Refurbished Instead of Buying posted at My Wealth Builder, saying, "Replacing the poorly working parts of our grill cost $110 instead of over $250 for a new grill."



Colin Robertson presents Longest 0% APR Credit Cards posted at The Truth About Credit Cards.com, saying, "If you’re currently paying astronomical credit card finance charges, which is pretty much a given if you’re carrying a credit card balance without a promotional introductory rate, you may want to consider a credit card balance transfer."



Colin Robertson presents Balance Transfer With No Fee posted at Credit Card Balance Transfer Offers, saying, "These days, it’s pretty much impossible to find a no fee balance transfer credit card, unless you get your balance transfer fee waived, which is unlikely.

Card issuers just aren’t open to taking on your credit card debt for free anymore…or are they?"



Michal presents Save Money With These 5 iPhone Apps posted at Phone Reviews Plus, saying, "Save yourself some money with these 5 iPhone Apps!"



David Leeman presents Frugal Retirement Living, How to Live Frugally in Retirement posted at Financial Freedom Blog to Change Your Life, saying, "Frugal retirement living allows people to experience financial freedom even if they haven’t had a substantial income during their working years. By learning how to live frugally, it is possible to reduce living expenses considerably while enjoying retirement to the fullest."



Dean Grassie presents Greendockin' and Full-Time RV Living: First Time Greendockin' posted at Greendockin' and Full-Time RV Living, saying, "We have converted our pick-up truck with shell into a great way to live cheaply. We have electricity (thru a solar generator), drinking water, solar shower, solar oven, and a portable toilet. This has enabled us to travel to remote locations and live "off the grid". We essentially live for free while travelling around the USA."


Annette Berlin presents 22 Crafty Ways To Reuse Magazines posted at Craft Stew, saying, "Before you throw out your old magazines, first consider
all the money-saving ways they can be reused."



Charles Chua C K presents 7 Advantages to Continue Working When You Retire posted at All About Living with Life.

Passive Income

Serene Hitchcock presents Stop Struggling and Start Living! posted at earncasheveryday.



Local Bend presents What is Local Search? posted at Local Bend, saying, "If you are working on a side business to generate passive income, getting found in local search results is becoming extremely important in today's society."


Kyle Taylor presents 2012 Elections: How to Profit from Them posted at The Penny Hoarder.



BWL presents 7 Habits of Successful Bloggers posted at Blogging Your Passion, saying, "If you are looking to earn passive income from your blog, you need to follow these 7 habits that most successful bloggers share."



JIM W presents Aloe For Better Living: MLM - It's A Money Thing posted at Aloe For Better Living.

Reducing Expenses

Tony Pardo presents My Debt Consolidation Banks are Sneaky! posted at Tony Pardo.



Tim Chen presents NerdWallet Launches New Gas Price Comparison Tool posted at NerdWallet Blog - Credit Card Watch, saying, "With gas prices rising through the roof, every cent per gallon saved makes a difference. Just in time for the summer road trip season, we’re pleased to announce the official launch of our comprehensive gas price comparison tool to find the biggest savings in any area."



Jeff Weber presents How Much Has Your Credit Card Debt Cost You This Year? posted at Smart Balance Transfers, saying, "Failing to track monthly credit card interest expenses can mask what is often a major expense. With 2011 at its midpoint, now is a good time to find out how much credit card debt is costing you and seek out ways to reduce this expense."



Briana Myricks presents July Financial Challenges posted at 20 and Engaged.



Darwin presents College Degrees That Leave You With DEBT FOR LIFE posted at Darwin's Money, saying, "Here are several cases of college degrees that have left students with debt for life. It's critical to consider ROI on your college degree before choosing a major."

Stock Investments

Maxim Kazawy presents How to Examine a Mutual Fund's Fundamentals - Price to Earnings, Price to Book, Dividend Yield & Expense Ratio posted at Best Dividend Mutual Funds, saying, "Just like how analysts like to measure a company's stock via the price to earnings ratio, price to book ratio, earnings per share growth, Beta, market capitalization & volume, dividend mutual funds can also be measured in the same manner."



Mike Piper presents The Perfect Portfolio: Don’t Bother Trying posted at The Oblivious Investor, saying, "It's easy to get caught up in attempts to perfect your portfolio. The problem is, it will never actually be perfect."


FlBlogger presents DRIP Investing posted at Dividend Stocks, saying, "Dividend Reinvestment Plans, or DRIPs, are great investment tools for individuals looking to slowly and cheaply build large portfolios of quality stocks over time. In this article, we take a comprehensive look at DRIP Investing."



John Border presents Passive Investing Strategies posted at Stock Market Basics, saying, "Passive Income is the way forward for investing without the effort involved in stock picking. These passive investing strategies will help you make money with low risk."



Alexander presents Why Choose Dividend Paying Stocks posted at Dividend Stocks, saying, "Many people wonder why dividend paying stocks make such good investments. After all, it doesn’t seem like much to be paid a few cents a share."


Before You Invest presents How to Teach Kids To Invest posted at Before You Invest..., saying, "Teaching our children to be smart with money is such an important lesson, especially today with so many young adults coming out of school without understanding how to manage their personal finances."


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Stock Portfolio and Watch List Updates for July 2011

Following are the activity from the previous month:

1. Gol Linhas Aereas Inteligentes SA ADR (GOL) stock was assigned to us as the stock closed below our strike price ($12.50) on our cash-covered put position on the day of expiry (07/16/2011). We currently have a paper-loss of around 10% on those shares.

The cash coverage requirements on the open puts account for about 58% of our cash position. The cash position in our portfolio is at around 33.25%. We stayed in the sidelines the last month as the stock market consolidated after losses in the previous month. We will continue the strategy of building our portfolio by distributing purchases over a period of time while also writing cash-covered puts with a portion of our cash position.

Below is our updated portfolio – the overall portfolio is up 5% compared to our cost basis:

Stock	Buy Date	Buy Price	Current Price	Current % Of Portfolio	Unrealized % Return	Yield as % of Portfolio Value
Altria (MO)	Various	19.19	26.69	1.99	39.08	0.16
Philip Morris International (PM)	1/4/2005	32.19	66.93	1.99	107.91	0.12
Kraft Foods (KFT)	Various	26.33	35.37	2.11	34.35	0.09
Pfizer (PFE)	Various	22.13	19.75	2.06	(10.75)	0.09
ICICI Bank (IBN)	5/18/2006 and 08/01/2008	25.28	47.25	2.11	98.81	0.11
Central Europe & Russia Fund (CEE)	Various	29.97	43.45	1.29	45	0.01
Itron Inc. (ITRI)	11/07/2007	85.01	46.55	0.69	(45.31)	None
iRobot (IRBT)	12/18/2007	18.65	35.14	2.09	90.03	None
LDK Solar (LDK)	Various	20.35	6.52	0.58	(67.97)	None
Aegon N.V. (AEG)	04/28/2008	15.99	5.85	0.70	(40.35)	0.00
Frontline Limited (FRO)	10/06/2008	36.95	11.79	0.53	(64.13)	0.08
DryShips Incorporated (DRYS)	02/09/2009	6.96	4.04	0.42	(41.99)	0.00
Plum Creek Timber (PCL)	07/23/2009	30.50	40.50	2.41	32.79	0.14
CPFL Energia S.A. (CPL)	07/28/2009	50.45	86.97	2.59	72.39	0.18
BP plc (BP)	08/05/2009	51.49	44.33	1.32	(13.90)	0.09
AT&T (T)	08/27/2009	26.38	30.31	1.81	14.88	0.12
Sysco Corporation (SYY)	Various	25.92	30.91	2.30	19.24	0.10
Exelon (EXC)	12/30/2009	49.38	43.37	1.94	(12.18)	0.16
Telefonica SA (TEF)	02/09/2010	22.93	22.11	1.98	(3.58)	0.24
Vonage Holdings (VG)	04/06/2010	1.51	4.41	1.31	191.21	0
Archer Daniels Midland (ADM)	04/23/2010	28.27	30.30	1.80	7.16	0.09
Intel Corporation (INTC)	Various	21.91	22.37	2.66	2.09	0.12
Google Inc. (GOOG)	05/03/2010	528.36	597.62	1.78	13.11	0
Cardinal Health (CAH)	05/06/2010	34.42	46.28	2.07	34.45	0.06
Pearson PLC (PSO)	05/06/2010	14.32	18.66	1.94	30.28	0.16
Nokia (NOK)	05/14/2010	10.35	5.54	0.82	(46.47)	0.16
Harris (HRS)	06/07/2010	45.65	42.52	1.90	(4.22)	0.08
Beckton Dickson (BDX)	06/23/2010	70.20	87.09	2.59	24.06	0.10
NYSE EuroNext (NYX)	10/22/2010	30.38	34.35	2.05	13.07	0.15
Owens & Minor Inc. (OMI)	10/22/2010	28.11	34.40	2.05	22.38	0.08
Encana (ECA)	11/8/2010	29.22	30.83	1.84	5.60	0.10
Nucor Steel (NUE)	1/21/2011	44.96	39.49	1.76	(12.17)	0.12
K12 Inc (LRN)	2/15/2011	32.21	33.98	1.52	5.48	0.00
Procter and Gamble (PG)	3/7/2011	61.80	64.83	1.93	4.90	0.09
National Presto Industries (NPK)	06/15/2011	97.85	102.15	1.52	4.40	0.19
Harleysville Group (HGIC)	06/17/2011	30.46	31.79	1.89	4.35	0.14
Wal-Mart (WMT)	06/17/2011	53.06	53.63	1.60	1.08	0.07
Nutrisystem (NTRI)	06/18/2011	17.00	15.03	1.12	(11.59)	0.08
Gol Linhas Aereas Inteligentes SA ADR (GOL)	07/16/2011	12.50	11.31	1.68	(9.60)	0.08
Cash				33.25
Total Portfolio					5.18	3.02

Below is a summary of transactions during the year:

Stock	Buy Date	Buy Price	Sell Date	Sell Price	% Gain (Loss)	% Portfolio Return*
GSK Jan 2011 35 Put	1/22/2011	NA	3/26/2010	NA	NA	0.14
NUE Jan 2011 40 Put	1/22/2011	NA	3/26/2010	NA	NA	0.17
ADP Jan 2011 40 Put	1/22/2011	NA	6/21/2010	NA	NA	0.10
COST Jan 2011 55 Put	1/22/2011	NA	8/16/2010	NA	NA	0.10
QSII June 2011 60 Put	2/15/2011	NA	10/29/2010	NA	NA	0.15
AMTD Feb 2011 15 Put	2/19/2011	NA	7/13/2010	NA	NA	0.15
ITRI May 2011 60 Put	3/8/2011	NA	10/7/2010	NA	NA	(0.00)
NE June 2011 33 Put	3/8/2011	NA	11/4/2010	NA	NA	0.14
JNJ July 2011 60 Put	5/5/2011	NA	12/27/2010	NA	NA	0.06
Central Europe and Russia Fund (CEE)	6/28/2007	51.57	5/5/2011	44.68	(13.52)	(0.16)
LinkedIn (LNKD)	05/19/2011	86.80	05/25/2011	94.31	8.65	0.12
NTRI June 2011 17 Put	06/18/2011	NA	01/21/2011	NA	NA	0.10
GOL July 2011 12.5 Put	07/16/2011	NA	02/15/2011	NA	NA	0.13
Realized Gain/(Loss) YTD	-	-	-	-	-	1.17

• % Gain/Loss Relative to Portfolio Value at Beginning of Year + Deposits
• The table assumes realization of profits associated with selling options only after the option is exercised or expiry.

We have covered calls written against one-third of our ICICI Bank (IBN) shares (Jan 2012 55), all of our Cardinal Health (CAH) shares (Sep 2011 43 at $2.55), and all of our NYSE Euronext (NYX) shares (NYX Jan 2012 40 at $1.93).

We have cash covered puts written on Weyerhaeuser Company (WY) shares (Jan 2012 20 at $2), Cisco (CSCO) shares (Jan 2012 20 at $2.64), Berkshire Hataway (BRK.B) shares (Jan 2012 75 at $7.15), Abbott Labs (ABT) shares (Jan 2012 45 at $4.40), H&R Block (HRB) shares (Jan 2012 10 at $1.60 and 12.5 at $2.30), Alcoa (AA) shares (Jan 2012 15 at $1.70), McDonalds (MCD) shares (Sep 2011 75 at $3.50), Cameco (CCJ) shares (Jan 2012 22.5 at $1.60), Glaxo (GSK) shares (Jan 2012 35 at $2.70), and Diebold (DB) shares (Nov 2011 35 at $3.40) with a cash coverage requirement of about 58.43% of our cash position.

Our watch list follow – Automatic Data Processing (ADP), Applied Materials (AMAT), Amgen (AMGN), Air Products & Chemicals (APD), Brown-Foreman (BF-B), Bemis Company (BMS), Canon (CAJ), Church & Dwight Company (CHD), Canadian National Railway (CNI), Darden’s Restaurants (DRI), Giant Interactive Group (GA), Kaman Corporation (KAMN), Coca Cola (KO), 3M Company (MMM), PepsiCo (PEP), Teva Pharmaceuticals (TEVA), UPS Corporation (UPS), US Bancorp (USB), VF Corporation (VFC), and Waste Management (WM). It is unchanged compared to last month’s update.

Baroque Era (1600 – 1750) Music – An Intro with Books, and other Resources

The Baroque era, branded so by the nineteenth century critics from the Portuguese word baracco meaning the ‘oddly shaped pearl’, followed the Renaissance period. The highly ornate, unforgiving masterpieces of Bach and Handel probably contributed for this peculiar name. It needs to be remembered that in those hard times it was the demands of the employer that dictated the art brought forth by an artist. With that curtain of charity in place all critics concur had it not been for the diligent work of these tireless artists the music of today would have been dramatically different.

The Baroque era pushed the appreciation of art like no other for it literally brought the layman in touch with the artistic world through opulent architecture, art, literature, science, and music. Though Italy took the center stage, Germany, England and France were not behind.
Composers fine-tuned their compositions to not only enhance the listening pleasure of the audience but also to communicate effectively with them by evoking the desired emotions. Melody and harmony established themselves as powerful entities and in their wake came the practice of basso continuo. The cantata, concerto, sonata, oratorio, opera, intermezzo, suite, etc., all debuted during this era. While there were many great composers in this era the greatest were Monteverdi, Praetorius, Frescobaldi, Schütz, Scheidt, Lully, Charpentier, Pachelbel, Corelli, Purcell, Alessandro and Domenico Scarlatti, Couperin, Vivaldi, Telemann, Rameau, Bach, Handel, and Sammartini.

Composer	Thumbnail	ISBN	Best Price	Description
Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643)	Opera's First Master: The Musical Dramas of Claudio Monteverdi	978-1574671100	$29.99	Part of the Unlocking the Masters series of books, the book reviews the theatrical experiences of his three operas: L’Orfeo – Orpheus, 1607, Il ritorno d’Ulisse in Patria – the return of Ulysses to his homeland, 1640, and L’incoronazione di Poppea – the coronation of Poppea, 1643.
Michael Praetorius (1571–1621)	Praetorius - Mass for Christmas Morning	B0000057EH	$16.98	Paul McCreesh recreates a Lutheran Mass on Christmas Morning from 1620 using music Praetorius, Scheidt, and Schein. Lyrics are in German and Latin with translations in the notes.
Girolamo Frescobaldi (1583–1643)	Frescobaldi: Fiori Musicali	B0026RLMB6	$7.98	Three Organ Masses. Roberto Loreggian, organ. Schola Gregoriana ‘Scriptoria’, Dom Nicola M. Bellinazzo.
Heinrich Schütz (1585–1672)	Heinrich Schütz: Symphoniae Sacrae, 1629	B000004433	$23.98	Two audio CDs – Heinrich Schutz, Concerto Palatino, Barbara Borden, Nele Gram, Douglas Nasrawi, and John Potter.
Samuel Scheidt (1587–1653)	Samuel Scheidt: The Great Sacred Concertos	B000MRP1PA	$16.98	The CDs by Musica Fiata and Capella Ducale is one of only two that feature the voices and instruments of his work. The other is Concertum Sacrorum.
Jean-Baptiste Lully (1632–1687)	Lully: Les Divertissements de Versailles	B000063TE8	$17.98	Jean-Baptiste Lully, Les Arts Florissants, William Christie, Sophie Daneman, and Paul Agnew.
Marc-Antoine Charpentier (1645–1704)	Charpentier: Te Deum; Messe de Minuit de Noël	B00005NPJ3	$6.98	Choir of King’s College, Cambridge Academy of St. Martin in the Fields English Chamber Orchestra. Performer: Thomas Trotter, Andrew Davis, Eiddwen Harrhy, Felicity Lott, April Cantelo.
Johann Pachelbel (1653–1706)	Pachelbel's Greatest Hit: Canon in D	B000003F39	$8.98	Canon in D performances: Cleo Laine (a vocal!), Baroque Chamber Orchestra, Hampton String Quartet, Festival Strings Lucerne, James Galway, Concord String Quartet, The Canadian Brass, and Isao Tomita
Archangelo Corelli (1653-1713)	Corelli: Complete Works	B0009IW8SK	$48.88	Boxed set of 10 discs. Performer: Musica Amphion, a Dutch period instrument orchestra conducted from the harpsichord by Pieter-Jan Belder.
Henry Purcell 1659-1695	Henry Purcell (Oxford Studies of Composers)	978-0198163411	$60.00	A survey of Purcell’s music, it is the first book to explore the historical context of Purcell’s music – 272 pages.
Alessandro Scarlatti (1660–1725)	Allesandro And Domenico Scarlatti: Two Lives in One (Lives in Music)	978-1576471081	$50.40	Explores the lives and careers of the two men with the boundaries between documented facts and informed speculation clearly defined.
François Couperin (1668–1733)	Couperin - Leçons de Ténèbres	B000005E4Y	$18.91	William Christie, Sophie Daneman, Patricia Petibon, Monica Huggett, Marc Hantai, Anne-Marie Lasla, Emilia Benjamin, Les Arts Florissants.
Antonio Vivaldi (1680-1743)	Vivaldi: The Four Seasons	B000003CSU	$13.99	Conductor: Seiji Ozawa, Orchestra: Boston Symphony Orchestra.
Georg Philipp Telemann (1681–1767)	Telemann: Bläserkonzerte (Wind Concertos)	B0000057D1	$23.98	Musica Antiqua Koln, Reinhard Goebel, Pieter Dhont, Michael Niesemann, Eric Hoeprich, Friedemann Immer, Wilbert Hazelzet, and Michael Schneider.
Jean-Philippe Rameau (1683-1764)	Rameau - Orchestral Suites from Naïs & Le Temple de la Gloire	B0000007EE	$10	Nicholas McGegan, Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra.
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)	Johann Sebastian Bach: The Learned Musician	978-0393322569	$14.93	An intellectual biography that assesses the career of Johann Sebastian Bach in a scholarly manner with a focus on his performing and composing.
Georg Friedrich Handel (1685-1759)	Georg Friedrich Händel: Messiah	B002KPINIE	$23.81	Conductor: Frieder Bernius, Orchestra: Barockorchester Stuttgart, Performers: Carolyn Sampson, Benjamin Hulett, Daniel Taylor, Peter Harvey, Kammerchor Stuttgart.
Domenico Scarlatti (1685–1757)	Scarlatti: Concerti & Sinfonie	B00005RFSC	$16.98	Alessandro Scarlatti and Domenico Scarlatti. Conductor: Fabio Biondi, Performer: Europa Galante.
Giovanni Battista Sammartini (1700 -1775)	Giovanni Battista Sammartini: Sacred Cantatas	B0007ACVIM	$8.99	Conductor: Daniele Ferrari. Performer: Capricco Italiano Ensemble, Filippo Ravizza, Silvia Mapelli, Mirko Guadagnini. Some consider his style as a link between the baroque and classical styles.

Violin, viola, double bass, harp, flute, oboe, bassoon, recorder, trombone, trumpet, scakbut, serpent, clavichord, harpsichord, fortepiano, and the organ were the popular instruments of the era.


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• Baroque Era Music (1600-1750) - An Introduction
• Renaissance Era Music (1430-1600) - An Introduction
• Medieval Era Music (500-1450) - An Introduction