Mark Seow

For those who feed on a regular diet of Handel and Telemann, this album of sinfonias will make one thing certain: the music of Graupner is weird. Harmonically, this is immediately felt in the Poco allegro of the Sinfonia in D, GWV528. Concertmaster Joanna Huszcza makes a wonderful feature of the melodic bends, and Il Gardellino form a charming backdrop. But lovely above all is the gentle thump of Bart Rosseel on the timpani.

Except in very specific circumstances and for very specific effects, I struggle to understand why a musician would choose to multitrack with themself rather than record with another living, breathing, inspiring musician. The effect is almost always something akin to a conversation with an AI bot: unfulfilling in liveness, a diluted semblance of listening, and ultimately frustrating in its proximity to the ‘real’ thing.

This premiere recording of Joachim Bernard Hagen’s Lute Concerto in D minor is not going to set the world on fire – but my goodness, is it lovely. The lutenist Evangelina Mascardi has a wonderful touch, and the ensemble Estrovagante directed by Riccardo Doni provide well-tempered, sympathetic support. The Poco andante second movement simulates a springtime stroll in Bayreuth’s Hofgarten – which happens to have been expanded in the 18th century by the lute-loving Wilhelmine, Margravine of Bayreuth.