David Munrow, Academy of St Martin-in-the-Fields, Neville Marriner - Telemann, Sammartini, Handel: Recorder Concertos (2000)

Whilst Sir Neville Marriner, who turns 90 on 15 April 2014, provides stylish accompaniments with the Academy's modern instruments, the star of this album is the late David Munrow, who did so much to popularize early music and its instruments, particularly the recorder. Munrow founded the Early Music Consort of London, along with Christopher Hogwood (featured on this LP) and came to wider fame as provider of authentic Tudor music to two major BBC Television Dramas: The Six Wives of Henry VIII in 1970 and Elizabeth R in 1971. In a career that only lasted 10 years, he recorded over 50 albums, presented his own eclectic BBC Radio 3 programme Pied Piper, and television programmes on both BBC and ITV. Suffering from depression, his life was tragically cut short by his own hand in 1976 at the age of 33.
The original November 1974 review in the GRAMOPHONE enthused about the brilliance of Munrow's playing and advised:
Anyone who admires the skill and the vivacious musicianship of David Munrow ought to try this attractive disc. He plays the treble recorder in the Telemann and Handel items and the soprano (or descant) in the Sammartini, both with the greatest agility, with nicety of phrasing, and with a sureness of intonation all too uncommon among players of this instrument.