Catalogue

Summary:

“The Brook Street Band play with plenty of charismatic brio but there is also affective compassion in reflective music… this is a fine addition to a strong discography.” – David Vickers, Gramophone

“These are grown-up performances from the Brook Street Band. Finely balanced, deliciously spiced, infectiously musical!” – Andrew McGregor, BBC Radio 3 – CD Review

“The Brook Street Band’s performances have a well-blended, soft-textured finish and, rhythmically, an easy grace.” ★★★★★ – Michael Dervan, The Irish Times

“What an enjoyable recording this is!… The Brook Street Band play with superb style and enthusiasm; they have appropriately varied the instrumentation of the individual sonatatas, and their programme order makes perfect sense… prepare to be beguiled…” – Alistair Harper, Early Music Review

“…the music is unfailingly graceful and inventive and, in the hands of sensitive musicians such as these, it springs to life from the written page.” ★★★★ – Nicholas Anderson, Early Music Today

Featured Album “Infectious, celebratory performances of Handel” – Drive Time Classic FM

“… Cellist and band founder Tatty Theo, violinists Rachel Harris and Farran Scott, and harpsichordist Carolyn Gibley approach everything with a spring in their step, relishing the harmonic crunches and keeping everything vital and vivacious.” ★★★★ – Erica Jeal, The Guardian

“… while the musicians are clearly virtuosos, they never draw attention to themselves at the expense of the music… throughout the six sonatas, each of them sounding poised and pointed, the bonus Passacaille at the end of the program uniting all of the players in a delightful little number… the Band make each sonata sound new and fresh…” – John J Puccio, Classical Candor.

“… the agility of recorder player Lisete da Silva also counts among the attractions of the work [Trio Sonata in F major, Op. 2/4]…” ★★★★ – James Manheim, AllMusic.com

The Brook Street Band has easily earned its reputation as “the smartest new baroque band around (The Times, London).  Among today’s most notable Handel specialists, the all-girl group follow their ear-opening recording debut, the world-premiere chamber version of Handel’s ‘Oxford’ Water Music (AV 0028) which earned the ensemble an Editor’s Choice from Gramophone, and a sparkling rendition of the Op. 5 Trio Sonatas (AV 2068), with the composer’s other great set of Trio Sonatas, Op. 2. An utterly memorable collection of works that features Handel’s imaginative “re-heating” of his own popular tunes, the recording once again brings forth the Band’s sheer pleasure in sharing the composer’s wonderful music.

Tracklist:

George Friderich Handel (1685 – 1759)
Sonata No.3 in B flat (11.27)
1  I. Andante (2.22)
2  II. Allegro (2.30)
3  III. Larghetto (3.35)
4  IV. Allegro (3.00)

Sonata No.2 in G minor (9.43)
5  I. Andante (2.58)
6  II.  Allegro (1.21)
7  III. Largo (3.58)
8  IV. Allegro (1.26)

Sonata No.4 in F (11.19)
9  I. Larghetto (2.01)
10 II. Allegro (2.46)
11 III. Adagio (2.03)
12 IV. Allegro (2.11)
13 V. Allegro (2.18)

Sonata No.5 in G minor (10.50)
14 I. Larghetto (2.36)
15 II. Allegro (3.00)
16 III. Adagio (1.53)
17 IV. Allegro (3.21)

Sonata No.1 in B minor (11.08)
18 I. Andante (3.27)
19 II. Allegro ma non troppo (2.45)
20 III. Largo (2.49)
21 IV. Allegro (2.07)

Sonata No.6 in G minor (9.07)
22 I. Andante (2.23)
23 II.  Allegro (2.07)
24 III. Arioso (2.37)
25 IV. Allegro (2.04)
Total time: 69.49

Recorded 28 February – 3 March 2013, Raveningham Church, Norfolk, UK
Produced, engineered and edited by Simon Fox-Gál