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Following a similar 1992 disc, classical guitarist David Russell offers another pleasing collection of transcriptions of music by Baroque composers. Handel and Domenico Scarlatti return, with the addition this time of Vivaldi and Jean Baptiste Loeillet. Loeillet may be the least-known composer represented here, but his G Minor Suite makes a pleasing opener, and Russell's stylish rhythmic treatment makes the formalized dances swing. Two sonatas by Vivaldi and Handel make up the heart of the CD; Russell finds Vivaldi at his most expressive in a chromatic Largo, while Handel's unusually somber Sonata in A Minor is sensitively performed. The high point of the disc, however, comes at the end, with a set of nine single-movement sonatas of Domenico Scarlatti. Transcribed from their original keyboard versions, these sonatas represented the vanguard of early-18th-century musical expression, and Russell brings out the individual spirit in each of his selections. Russell's playing may not have the sparkle and flash of other classical guitarists, but that's a good thing: His style is more introspective, and his playing displays a thoughtful, reflective quality that rewards repeated listenings. EJ Johnson, Barnes & Noble
© 2010 All Media Guide, LLC
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