Customer Reviews

Veracini: Sonate accademiche

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I think this is an excellent set. It is certainly not just the sort of pleasant but forgettable stuff by an obscure Baroque composer which is sometimes recorded; this is very enjoyable, certainly, but has real musical depth and I found the whole thing very engaging and rewarding.

Veracini was roughly contemporary with Bach, and his music looks back to the tradition of Biber rather than forward to the work of people like Veracini's pupil Locatelli. He was plainly a violinist of immense skill (and apparently limitless self-regard) and a good enough composer to write more than just flashy but rather empty stuff to show off his skill, and this set of twelve sonatas has a great variety of very interesting music to commend it.

The performances are really excellent - as always from The Locatelli Trio - and this is another in an impressive catalogue of recordings they have made for Hyperion. Sensitive, supple and full of skill and verve, the three virtuoso musicians plainly love what they are playing and thoroughly enjoy playing it together, and the whole thing is a pleasure from start to finish.

The recorded sound is excellent and the presentation attractive. At this price for three CDs of thoroughly enjoyable and well-played music it's a set to be snapped up, and I recommend it very warmly.

If I was hearing this music on the radio (without having heard the announcer telling us what it was) I certainly wouldn't be able to guess the composer's name, though the music is obviously from the Baroque period. It is truly wonderful listening and deserves to be a lot better known. Here, Elizabeth Wallfisch and her colleagues give performances that aren't likely to be bettered. Hyperion have come up trumps (as they usually do) with a full rich sound. Highly recommended. And by the way, Hyperion [...]) are celebrating their thirtieth birthday this year.