Hi-Res Downloads

96kHz to 192kHz/24-bit FLAC, CKD526 (supplied by www.linnrecords.com)

Renowned baroque violinist and period-instrument ensemble director Monica Huggett is artistic director of the Irish Baroque Orchestra, and they have recorded Bach programmes together for Avie and the RTÉ Lyric label. Here – harking back to a time when concerto soloists were members of the orchestra, rather than ‘star’ performers – she has chosen seven by no means familiar works by 17th-century composers (Fasch, Graupner, Heinichen, Telemann and Vivaldi) written for one or up to six solo players. Some of the scoring sonorities are unusual more than ‘bizarre’ (eg, bassoon plus two violins) and these performances illustrate how very far period practice has come since the days of, say, Karl Münchinger in Stuttgart. The Sept ’15 recordings were close-miked in a Drogheda church with well controlled ambience. CB

Sound Quality: 85%

Hi-Fi News Lab Report

Downloaded in 96kHz guise the 48kHz bandwidth, and low level, of this rendering is clear. The span is nearly fully occupied by the harmonics of flute, oboe and cello in the Allegro (trk22) with no suggestion of ~0dBFs overload. PM