Italian Without Spoil

Here's a CD that lives up to its name and more. The Italian chamber repertory of the 17th century receives occasional performances, but it has rarely been as convincingly explored as it is here by veteran Baroque violinist Monica Huggett, leading small ensembles drawn from the Irish Baroque Orchestra. Huggett's biggest coup is simply her selection of unknown but superb repertoire. The Partia VI from the collection of trio sonatas titled Harmonia Artificiosa by Heinrich Biber (the "Italian" label for the music includes examples of Italian style from German lands) is sometimes played, although not as often as the composer's solo violin music; it is a rigorous but colorful exercise in scordatura (the use of unorthodox tunings).