Iestyn Davies 40th Birthday Concert, Wigmore Hall
…up-tempo Handelian swagger in three of the Opus 6 Concertos and the heavenly ‘Chaconne’ from Il pastor fido, a distinctive, layered sound that prefers clarity and character to ‘period’ homogeneity, and the fact that the musicians are not relentlessly and proactively on top of the beat means that prestos breathe, adagios get under the skin, and dances, well, dance. Pinnock’s direction was everything you could wish for in style and attack, everyone relishing the music’s flourishes and harmonic swerves.
Peter Reed – Classical Source
