Concerto Grosso by Corelli, Albinoni, Scarlatti, Manfredini, Locatelli – A Trip Back to Baroque Bliss
Alright, let’s cut to the chase. This album? It’s like stepping into a time machine and landing smack dab in the middle of Baroque Europe. Released way back in 1996 (yeah, I know, it’s older than some of you reading this), Concerto Grosso is one of those records that doesn’t scream for attention but instead whispers its brilliance right into your soul. Greece-based Sakkaris Records put it out, and while they might not be a household name, trust me—they nailed it with this one.
The lineup here is kinda wild too. You’ve got the Swr Symphony Orchestra Stuttgart handling most of the heavy lifting on tracks 1 through 5 and again on 13 to 17. Then there’s Ensemble I Solisti Di Zagreb jumping in for tracks 6 to 8 and 19 to 22. And don’t even get me started on Dubravka Tomsic, who absolutely slays on piano for tracks 9 to 12 and 18. Seriously, she makes those keys sing like nobody’s business.
Now, full disclosure—I’m not gonna pretend I sat down and listened to all 22 tracks in one go because… well, life’s too short for that kind of commitment. But two tracks stuck with me so hard that I had to rewind and hit play again. Let’s talk about them.
First up: “Adagio-Allegro” from track six. The moment it kicks in, it feels like someone just cracked open a window during a stuffy summer afternoon. There’s this slow burn at first—the strings are almost hesitant, like they’re tiptoeing around something big. And then BAM! It shifts into Allegro mode, and suddenly you’re sprinting alongside an invisible horse carriage or whatever people did back in the day when they weren’t binge-watching Netflix. Honestly, it’s impossible not to feel like you’re living in some fancy period drama while this plays. Total vibe shift, man.
Then there’s “Largo (Pastorale)”, which shows up twice—once as track seven and later as track fourteen. This one hits different. It’s super chill, like lying under a tree watching clouds drift by if those clouds were made of sound. Something about the pacing—it’s deliberate without being boring—just pulls you in. Like, you think nothing’s happening, but then you realize everything is happening, and you’re totally okay with it. Weirdly comforting, honestly.
What strikes me about this whole album is how unapologetically itself it is. There’s no attempt to modernize or jazz things up for today’s listeners. Nope, it’s straight-up Baroque goodness from start to finish. And yeah, maybe some folks would call it old-fashioned, but isn’t that the point? These composers—Corelli, Albinoni, Scarlatti, and co.—were basically the rockstars of their time. They didn’t need autotune or flashy music videos to make waves.
Here’s the kicker though: listening to this record reminded me how much we take silence for granted now. With TikTok trends and Spotify playlists blasting nonstop, it’s rare to just sit still and soak in something like this. Maybe that’s why Concerto Grosso feels kinda revolutionary, even though it came out decades ago. Or maybe I’m just overthinking it because I haven’t had coffee yet. Either way, good job, Sakkaris Records—you guys knew what you were doing.
So yeah, if you’re looking for background noise for your next dinner party, skip this. But if you wanna zone out, reflect, or just feel classy AF for an hour, give it a shot. Oh, and bonus points if you listen on vinyl—it’s the kind of album that deserves that level of respect.
