Amazon.com essential recordingHenry Purcell published these proto-trio sonatas in 1683, when he was only 24. His stated aim was to bring Italian-style chamber music in the manner of Corelli to the English market. (Italian music wasn't entirely unknown in England at the time, but never mind.) Each four-movement sonata is only five to seven minutes long. The music has a brisk, almost compact quality that's heightened by the tight melodic interplay between the two violin parts. The minor-key sonatas have a sober nobility that never becomes ponderous, even in slow movements; the major-key works are fleet, even joyous, without ever seeming frivolous. London Baroque plays with a combination of energy, dignity, and pleasing tone that serves Purcell well--and sometimes brings an almost involuntary smile to one's face. --Matthew Westphal