Fasch: Orchestral Works Vol 3Chandos Chaconne CHAN ****

Johann Friedrich Fasch was a contemporary of JS Bach. However, in spite of being more forward-looking than the great cantor of the Thomaskirche in Leipzig, Fasch's music has long been relegated to the margins of musical life. This collection by Philadelphia baroque orchestra Tempesta di Mare includes overtures and concertos (among them ones for recorder and for lute) and amply explains why enthusiasts for the composer's music hold it in such high regard. Fasch is celebrated as a kind of missing link between the baroque and the classical styles. But this collection also highlights him as someone with an especial interest in the sonorities and textures of wind instruments. The performances may not always be the most refined in detail, but they are in a fresh, unmannered style that is appealing. url.ie/f1f2