L'Arte dell'Arco triumphs with latest Platti release

Giovanni Benedetto Platti was born when Johann Sebastian Bach was 13, and died when Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was seven. Just as his life spanned the late Baroque and the early Classical era, so did his music.

This release features four of Platti's nine published harpsichord concertos. The works were written between 1730 and 1750, for modest forces -- harpsichord plus string quartet.

While not quite Style Galante, to my ears they had a lightness and clarity that presages the Classical era. Roberto Loreggian strengthens that impression with his playing.

He moves across the keyboard with nimble dexterity. Loreggian's instrument has a clean, clear tone, with a silent action that responds instantly.

This is the second album of Piatti's music for L'Arte dell'Arco. The ensemble released a collection of his cello concertos on Brilliant Classics in 2019. They understand this composer, and that knowledge enhances their performances here. The ensemble sounds full, yet opaque, supporting rather than engulfing the harpsichord.

Also included is Platti's sole surviving violin concerto. Director Federico Guglielmo is the soloist. Guglielmo plays with tasteful expression. I sensed that his ornamentations were historically informed, yet they seemed quite natural in the flow of the music.

Platti was a composer of imagination and skill. These recordings demonstrate that quite ably. Well-recorded and well-performed.

Giovanni Benedetto Platti: Four Harpsichord Concrtos, Violin Concerto
Roberto Loreggian, harpsichord
L'Arte dell'Arco; Federico Guglielmo, violin and director
CPO 555 219-2