Arthaus Musik: 100010

Many Old Music lovers will greet this new DVD video with a relieved sigh of „Thank goodness – at last!“ The ensemble „Il Giardino Armonico“ founded in 1985 by Giovanni Antonini and Luca Pianco, here offers nothing less than a representative selection from its whole repertoire: mostly forgotten baroque Italian music, interpreted sonorously and expressively with verve, joy and an inexhaustible range of tonal colour. Yet as well as regaling the discerning music–lover’s ear, there is also much for his eyes to enjoy: this video was recorded in Sicily, at various sites around Palermo, uniting the painterly landscapes of southern Italy with the music of Antonio Vivaldi, Tarquinio Merula and others. A feast for eyes and ears therefore, in a wholly satisfying and successful combination.