Purcell: Ten Sonatas in Four Parts - Nottingham Evening Post

Notts born musician Matthew Halls took over The King's Consort when the group's founder was sent to gaol. Now he has set up his own ensemble Retrospect, which plans to explore the music of four centuries afresh. Their first recording is this noble disc of ten cosmopolitan Trio Sonatas by Purcell, which actually have four parts. Purcell's virtues, says Halls, include melodic invention, rich polyphony and bitter-sweet harmony. Violinists Sophie Gent and Matthew Truscott bring out all these features with Jonathan Manson on bass viol and Halls at a chamber organ or harpsichord. Except for an Adagio in Purcell's favoured G minor, the movements seldom last more than a couple of minutes, but there are still little surprises within.