Echo du Danube Ensemble - Gottfried Finger: Sonatae pro diversis instrumentis Op. 1 (2011)

I like this disc very much. It's not truly great music but it's sometimes quite delightful and always very enjoyable, and it's very well played.

The excellently named Gottfried Finger was a gambist and composer active chiefly in London and then Mannheim from around 1680-1730. He was plainly a very accomplished player and a more-than-competent composer; the sonatas here which make up his Op.1 are skilfully done, melodious and have plenty of harmonic interest.

Echo du Danube bring the music to life very well. They are a six-member ensemble whose individual virtuosity allows them to play the music very naturally, and their understanding of the music and each other gives the whole thing an really enjoyable feel. I get this out sometimes and listen to a couple of sonatas just for the simple pleasure of it - somewhat like a musical sorbet, I suppose.

This music won't set the world alight but that's true of a lot of music which is still very good and thoroughly satisfying to listen to and I can recommend this warmly to anyone with an interest in this period. -- Sid Nuncius