Antonio Caldara (c. 1670-1736) was one of the best known and esteemed composers of his times, not only in Italy but in Europe. He was as prolific as Vivaldi but his output was virtually all vocal music, such as operas, cantatas, and oratorios. According to the liner notes, he produced just four instrumental compositions, the Op. 1 Trio Sonatas of 1693, Op. 2 Chamber Sonatas of 1699, Cello Sonatas of 1735, and Sonatas da Camera (between 1700-1735); these performances consist mainly of the Op. 1 works & several Cello Sonatas.
Parnassi Musici is a wonderful period instrument group dedicated to this repertoire, especially in uncovering some of the rarer (meanly undiscovered and/or under performed) works from the Baroque era - I own a number of their other recordings and can only vouch for their excellence. In these Caldara performances, the members interweave the various instruments beautifully capturing the composer's renowned contrapuntal writing - the instruments are well recorded with the stage presence being integrated and up front.
Although this might certainly serve as 'background' music (as did much of the 'table music' written during this period), more concentrated listening will reveal the intricacies and beauty of this music. If you know Caldara only for his vocal writing, then a sampling of his 'small' instrumental output is worth exploring - this recording is warmly recommended for admirers of Baroque chamber music.
