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CD Review
Charles Avison
Concerti Grossi from Op. 9
- Concerto #1 in G Major
- Concerto #4 in G minor
- Concerto #6 in E minor
- Concerto #7 in E Flat Major
- Concerto #8 in B Flat Major
- Concerto #9 in C minor
The Georgian Consort/Peter Harrison
Divine Art 24108 46m DDD
Charles Avison's set of concerti includes some very interesting works although his undoubted debt to the Italian masters such as Albinoni and Corelli is pretty evident. This rather short Divine Art disc has six works from his Op. 9 which is the more famous of his collections.
The Georgian Consort play all the works with consummate skill and bring a certain lofty air to proceedings. I especially enjoyed the beauty and ethereal mastery of the 4th Concerto with its lovely aria andante that concludes the work in typical lyrical fashion. There is no actual chronological order with the concertos, which were originally numbered randomly, in my opinion this betters the musical flow.
Once again, even though the timing of the contents is slight, there are two more reasons to recommend this disc. First, it is offered at mid-price. Second, it is currently the only recording of any of Avison's Op. 9 concerti widely available. Therefore, this project is highly commendable whether you are new to Avison's music, or have long admired his work.
Copyright © 2002, Gerald Fenech
