Reviewed by Dave Massey

The sleeve notes on this CD draw attention to a very nice way of viewing the Baroque sonata from which gets you listening to the mood of the music and its logical progression. It equates the four movements to melancholy (wistfulness), choleric (active and enterprising), phlegmatic (unstructured and introverted) and sanguine (physical action/dance) and it is not unreasonable to suppose that Handel may well have had such notions in mind as he composed the works. Kuijken plays the pieces with fluidity and grace, and I particularly appreciated his understated ornamentation and obvious feeling for the phrasing. The accompaniment is well balanced between the harpsichord and the viola da gamba which provide a beautiful tonal contrast to the rounded sound of the Ebony transverse flute. The release of this album during the summer months is well planned - it's definitely music for a sunny day and worth listening to if you need your sagging spirit lifted.