Here's a reissue of one of the most successful and accessible items in the early music catalog of the British label Chandos. Originally issued in 1998, this disc of Christmas-associated music was helmed by veteran Baroque violinist
Simon Standage, by then the leader of his own group,
Collegium Musicum 90. The group's playing is clean and straightforward, with the understated lyricism that has always made
Standage's musicianship attractive. The idea of the program is to take a familiar piece, the so-called "Christmas Concerto" of Arcangelo Corelli -- the Concerto Grosso in G minor, Op. 6/8 ("Fatto per la notte di Natalie") -- and explore related compositions. Some of, such as the Concerto Grosso in C major, Op. 3/12, of Francesco Manfredini and the Cantata pastorale per la nascità di Nostro Signore of Alessandro Scarlatti, employ the 6/8 pastoral rhythm of the Corelli work, which is placed last. Others embody the hush of Christmas Eve in different ways. The most interesting item on the entire program is the Concerto for strings in E major ("Il riposo -- per il Santissimo Natale"), RV 270, of
Vivaldi, with its muted strings and unheard-of direction "senza cembali siempre" (always without harpsichord). The continuo is provided by a large lute, and the
Collegium Musicum 90 delivers a nicely hypotic (or, in the apt but contextually somewhat inappropriate term of annotator Nicholas Anderson, "Morphetic") version of this remarkable work. In all, an above-average budget item for seasonal listening or for bringing to a holiday gathering, with Chandos' usual high engineering standards.