Uccellini: Sonatas
One thing is for certain, every recording by baroque ensemble Romanesca is a revelation. The trio--led by violinist Andrew Manze, keyboardist John Toll, and lute player Nigel North--breathe new life into 17th- and 18th-century chamber music like no other group playing today. This recording focuses on 17th-century Italian composer Marco Uccellini's numerous violin sonatas. Though his work is shrouded in mystery (manuscripts have been lost, directions are cloudy), Uccellini's legacy pours forth from what little has remained: he wrote some truly cutting-edge violin works filled with revolutionary changes of key and styles. Manze's playing shines on this disc; he executes Uccellini's odd phrases perfectly, without ever sounding too calculated. Opus IV, No. 2 shifts abruptly between slow solo passages and lively tapestries of trio playing. Opus IX, No. 1 is a virtual dialogue between instruments. Romanesca'stake on Biberis a classic: spirited, well-played, and almost jazzy; this recording is less fun, but no less enlightening. Before Biber, Uccellini was at the vanguard of baroque composing. Thanks to Romanesca, it's easy to see why.--Jason Verlinde