Concerti Grossi
John Eliot Gardiner directs lively and intelligent performances of these concertos, lacking perhaps the last ounce of charm. At this point in the history of his English Baroque Soloists, they hadn't quite lost all of their "original instrument" edge, but it's not a big worry. The fact is, there aren't that many performances of the Op. 3 concertos (at least compared to Op. 6), and these are certainly among the best.--David Hurwitz