Jeff has chosen the 2023 recording of Serse:
“This album holds a special place in my heart, as it was my first recording project with The English Concert.
However, it is also, in my humble violinist opinion, an absolute masterclass in continuo playing. From the very first aria Ombra Mai Fu, both Sergio Bucheli and Pablo FitzGerald let you know exactly what you’re in for with some of the most delicious fills you’ll hear on two arch lutes. Joe Crouch is an absolute legend with his phrasing and playing; the man refuses to make mistakes, and he is always someone you can look at during a concert to know exactly where you’re supposed to be.
Tom Foster and Harry Bicket need no introduction, but the way they work together and use not just harmony, but the percussive nature of the harpsichord to rhythmically propel the ensemble forward is so persuasive that it’s difficult not to feel the groove during some of the more rapid arias.
All of it comes together to produce both beauty and funk in a way that is hard to find, impossible to ignore, and a pleasure to witness.”
