Immensely popular during his time and maintaining their appeal today,
Corelli's 12 Concerti Grossi, Op. 6, are among the gold standard for the form. They are divided into two sections, one being six concerti da camera and the other being six concerti da chiesa. The informatively written liner notes for this Harmonia Mundi album describe the potentially immense orchestra (for the time) that
Corelli may have employed for his performances; this recording, however, uses more modest numbers, taking into account the different needs for the "da Camera" and "da Chiesa" concerti. French-based
Ensemble 415 (which takes its name from a common Baroque tuning frequency) is led by its founder, violinist
Chiara Banchini. All of the planning and research that went into discovering the right number of musicians and the proportions between them pays off in this richly colorful, masterfully balanced performance. The double basses (five for chiesa, two for camera) provide a deep, powerful foundation upon which the rest of the strings, archlutes, and harpsichords weave a diverse blend of tone colors, textures, and dynamic layers. The precise, energetic playing by the concertino offers a nicely contrasting but not underpowered counterpoint to the more powerful full orchestra. Intonation, ornamentation, brilliantly divergent tempos, and articulation are all well thought out throughout the two-disc set. Harmonia Mundi's sound is detailed, warm, and crystal clear.