Boccherini: String Quintets; Minuet in A

Boccherini wrote about 100 string quintets, and if the three on this disc are anything to go by, they're a treasure trove of inventive music, melodically rich, full of surprising twists and turns, and with moments of great depth (as in the austerely beautiful Larghetto that opens the D minor Quintet). Written during Boccherini's stint as court composer in Madrid, these are "can't-miss" pieces, as is the encore track, the delicious Minuet from the Quintet Opus 11 No. 5, beloved by film fans for its use as a plot device in Alec Guinness's 1955 British comedy, The Ladykillers. The sympathetic playing of these musicians, drawn from the outstanding period performance band Europa Galante, makes this a major addition to the catalogue. The group's leader and first violinist on this disc is Fabio Bondi, whose solo recordings establish him as perhaps the finest of period practitioners. He shines in his solo turns, his colleagues play with spirited abandon, and the result is as delightful an hour of listening as you're likely to find on disc. --Dan Davis