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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
beautiful baroque playing, 4 May 2007
You'll have to excuse my review is not as comparative as would be ideal, and also I do not know these works tremendously well anyway.
My first aquaintance with Biber's Mystery Sonatas was the old DG Eduard Melkus set. It didn't do too much for me, like his corelli was over-grandiose and affected. I soon sold it 2nd hand.
Then I found the celebrated John Holloway / Tragicomedia recording on budget veritas 2cd set. Much more subtle, but hard not to notice the constant orchestra of continuo instruments backing him up. The Holloway set is recommendable but falls foul, I feel, of the trend in period music making of rock-n-roll rhythm sections, aggressively played chamber organs and lutes, etc. A bit far fetched, and not, I feel in keeping with violinistic beauty and musical line (this can be effective, for example Biondi or carmignola, but it can get out of hand with some others).
Anyway, onto the current set, apparently unreviewed so far - and please accept my review for the honest enthusiast's review that it is; I bought Huggett's set of the Biber mystery sonatas because they were exceptionally cheap via an amazon reseller, allied to my enjoyment of other of Huggett's recordings.
Huggett is a wonderful baroque violinist, full of subtle shading and sweetness, like her contemporary Elizabeth Wallfisch. I have some vivaldi concertos and superb corelli sonatas by Huggett and thus went for her Biber based on this highly positive experience.
A sensible continuo group subtley supports Huggett's musical and sensitive playing. The mystery sonatas display virtuosity but also oh-so-subtle spell-binding atmosphere. I feel that huggett performs this superbly, causing me to remain connected to the music right through both CDs. Perhaps a Goebel (which I intend to get also) or a Manze might be more direct, and the music will support mixed interpretations, but the headline-grabbing fireworks of more excitable (and apparently more celebrated) wannabe Nigel Kennedies of baroque violin playing should not detract from the real sensibility and easy virtuosity of Monica Huggett. A real keeper this, to return to time and again.
On two separate ASV Gaudeamus CDs.
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