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For her first collaboration with the period ensemble Il Giardino Armonico, violinist Isabelle Faust performs the five Violin Concertos of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, along with three shorter concertante works. This is an extraordinary set, for the historically informed performances, the polished sound of the group, the almost palpable presence of the players, which Harmonia Mundi has captured with superior engineering, and for the unrepressed joy in the music. Faust is the center of attention, naturally, and her refined and expressive playing immediately pulls the listener in. These are far from the most demanding concertos in the repertoire, so Faust is less concerned with technical execution than with conveying the pure feeling of the music, which is delightfully buoyant and uplifting. Under the direction of Giovanni Antonini, the group provides warm and sparkling accompaniment that gives Faust all the support she needs, but there's no doubt that she sets the emotional tone for these exquisite recordings. Highly recommended, especially for devotees of Classical style at its finest.

If this is the future of Mozart performance practice, the future is secure. The combination of period instrument violinist Giuliano Carmignola and modern instrument conductor Claudio Abbado leading the youthful period instrument Orchestra Mozart produces something new under the sun: a hybrid of both approaches that takes the best from both and creates something fresh and shining. Carmignola, the leader of Venice's Teatro La Fenice and one of Italy's best period violinists, has a focused tone, a lively sense of rhythm, and a wonderful feeling for line and color.

Anyone interested in a high-quality performance of Mozart's violin concertos on period instruments needs to look no further than this inexpensive set. All the youthful exuberance of the music comes through brilliantly in this interpretation, enhanced by the transparent texture of period instruments. Everything from tempi to dynamics is well-chosen and well-rendered, and nothing stands out as being out of place.

It is a moot point as to whether issues of gender played some part in the current neglect of artists such as ERICA MORINI, an Austrian-born violinist who spent most of her long career in the United States. Certainly her 1958 Westminster recordings of the Brahms and Tchaikovsky Concertos with the RPO under Artur Rodzinski are very fine indeed, presenting a violinist with a wonderfully sweet tone, impeccable intonation and a marvellous clarity of articulation.