Keith Jarrett & Michala Petri - Händel: Sonatas (1991/2018)

When this recording of Handel's Recorder Suites was first released in 1991, it was greeted with warmth and affection by those who already loved Danish recorder player Michala Petri's flawless technique and breathy tone and American jazz pianist Keith Jarrett's energetic and excited forays into classical repertoire. And why not? The qualities that distinguished Petri's playing of Albinoni and Vivaldi and the qualities that distinguished Jarrett's playing of Bach are equally present in their joint Handel. Petri flies through Handel's Allegros and sighs through his Adagios just as Jarrett soars through Handel's continuo part as if it were far more than merely accompaniment. But while one cannot help but admire their playing individually, one cannot help but regret that their performances seem so separate and even disconnected. Petri and Jarrett are each in their own musical worlds. For Petri, melody is everything, while for Jarrett, rhythm is everything. And while the twain do meet at cadences and double bars, for too much of the time they seem to be all but unaware of each other. RCA's 1990 recording was produced by ECM's Manfred Eicher, and the sound remains impeccably clear and real. -- James Leonard