Byrd and the Bird

The recorder here acts like a time machine, zipping between historical eras and affects. Arrangements of Bartók violin duets sit coherently alongside Baroque suites (Hotteterre, Telemann), unusual Renaissance pieces (“Upon La Mi Re”), and music composed in 2024 (see Giovanni’s Solliima title track). The recorder, apparently, has striking emotional range, too. While it shines most here in snappy, uptempo pieces, it also has an underrated melancholy mode, a contrast highlighted by the skillful sequencing.