Venice, Leipzig, Versailles and London Collections - Palladian Ensemble - Early Music Review

These four double CD sets (The Venice..., The Leipzig..., The Versailles... and The London Collection) bring together the recordings made by the former Palladian Ensemble between 1992 and 2005. During this period although two of the players changes, their basic line-up of recorder, violin and continuo was maintained. But now Pamela Thorby has left the group, and it's more flexible successor has been renamed ‘Palladians'. So these bargain reissues are particularly welcome as an impressive memorial to the original team. In spite of its position in The Venice Collection, the pieces in An Excess of Pleasure are actually by English composers such as Locke, Blow and Simpson as well as by Italians such as Matteis and Geminiani who settled in England. Some of these also feature in The London Collection which contains an entertaining mix [of] divisions, broken consorts and arrangements of traditional airs. The Ensemble play consistently with verve, style and virtuosity. Full information about them is to be found on the Linn Records website.