Amandine Beyer, Assemblée des honnestes curieux - Handel: Sonatas In Several Parts (2003)

Handel wrote quite a few sonatas for small instrumental ensembles – perhaps the best known being the Opus 2 and Opus 5 collections of ‘trio sonatas’. Trio sonatas, a development of the late 17th century, were generally written for two melody instruments (eg, violins) with accompaniment by a ‘continuo’ group of keyboard and other instruments (such as cello or bass viol). Some of the sonatas on this disc are drawn from the Opus 2 collection.
The performing ensemble in this case – L’Assemblée des Honnestes Curieux – is five strong: two violins, oboe, harpsichord and viola da gamba. As the ensemble’s name implies, the performances are informed by the players’ interest in historical practice. And the performances are very good indeed!
This should not, perhaps, come as a surprise, as L’Assemblée includes Amandine Beyer and Alba Roca – two particularly eminent baroque violinists. Nevertheless, they certainly stand out from the crowd of other recordings of Handel sonatas. While many other recordings appear to rely quite heavily on the inherent tunefulness of Handel’s writing, L’Assemblée brings great freshness and lightness to its performances. Ensemble and intonation are excellent; the character of the baroque instruments and subtle inflections and shadings are very engaging. The wide dynamic range of the recording ensures that the many textures of the music emerge with warmth and clarity.