Mika Suihkonen, Ballo della Battalia - La Gamba (2010)

This is a tremendously enjoyable disc of music for viola da gamba and continuo ensemble. It consists mainly of music by Diego Ortiz and Christopher Simpson, with one piece each from Marin Marais and Antoine Forqueray, so it spans the best part of two centuries from about 1550 to about 1750. It's a terrific programme and exceptionally well played.

The music is very fine, being composed by four of the great masters of the instrument. What makes this disc so enjoyable, though, is the performances. Mika Suihkonen is an excellent gamba player and his ensemble match him throughout for skill, zest and obvious love of the music. The fact that the great Andrew Lawrence-King plays harp and baroque guitar in the ensemble will give some idea of it's quality. There are vigorous ensemble pieces with some excellently judged percussion, some solo gamba movements and a wide variety of moods.