The Avsion Ensemble - Handel: Concerti Grossi Opus 6 - Early Music Review

Their line-up is relatively small: eight violins, two each of violas and cellos, and a single bass. This means that the soloists are not swamped when the tutti join in. Those soloists are, needless to say, first rate - Pavlo Beznosiuk, Caroline Balding and Richard Tunnicliffe...There seems to be a tendency these days just to take a little more time over phrasing. That is not to say that rubato is making a come-back; rather that some tempi are relaxing slightly to allow more expression, without disrupting the flow of the music. I'm puzzled that the three discs don't each have four concertos, but there may be some technical explanation. The Avison Ensemble have made something of a reputation with their eponymous recordings - it's good to know that music-making in Newcastle is spreading its wings. Can we expect Geminiani soon? I, for one, certainly hope so.