John Blow: Venus and Adonis (Harmonia Mundi)

Restoration comedy has been a resounding hit with contemporary theatregoers, so why not miniature pieces from the musical stage of the time? Blow was 10 years younger than Henry Purcell, and his vocal lines are considerably less elaborate, but his daring harmonies and graceful orchestration impart a grave dignity to the tale of Venus and her hapless lover, fatally wounded by a boar. A fate which often befalls this kind of music, which can turn twittery in the wrong hands: happily, Rene Jacobs, the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, a trio of fine soloists and the excellent Clare College Chapel Choir produce precisely the right mix of solemnity and lightness, making this CD a joyous event from start to finish.

Arminta Wallace