Biber & Muffat - Sonatas
Classical, Baroque | 1 CD | EAC | FLAC, CUE, LOG | Scans | 326 MB | RS
Recorded: Jan. & Apr. 1993, Church of Maria Minor, Utrecht, Netherlands
Released: 2002 [1994] | Label: DHM 05472 77844 2 | TT: 59:00
Freiburger Barockorchester Consort

This is wonderful music and the Freiburger Barockorchester Consort play it with a rhythmic vitality and elasticity that is at times toe-tappingly infectious. Their performances of the Biber sonatas have a verve and energy and combined with an admirable rhythmic flexibility, so that each of the varied short sections moves naturally into the next. Part of their secret is to give each little section its full due, irrespective of length. This makes for a lively but coherent performance of each sonata. And in the slower sections they are able to thin their tone down to a wonderful transparency. The Muffatt sonatas are rather more robust but here also, the group shines. (Robert Hugill, musicweb-international.com, 2003)

With For Whose Advantage? Xentrix improved their act at least slightly. The second release got a heavier and more dynamic production which alone helps it score higher than the unimpressive debut. Musically there are some necessary improvements as well, and the band sound stronger and more competent here. An example of better tracks, Questions is a particularly fine opener and the most memorable piece on this album. However, the whole album is not that powerful and one cannot avoid falling into boredom at times. Even with some added energy, the result is still not too spectacular although certainly better than Shattered Existence. After all, For Whose Advantage? is not such a bad release, but it's definitely not the best example of what British thrash metal bands were capable of doing.