The cover photo shows an unlikely quartet of baroque-musicians, unlikely what with their sort of punk/goth garb and rock-group "We dare you..." expressions--and is that a tattoo on one woman's arm? Well, they've got our attention--and the real point here is that they really can play, beginning with a vibrant, finely articulated, expressively assertive performance of a sonata by Dario Castello. The balances are ideal, the perspective is designed to maximize immediacy and presence, and the strings play with a pleasing grittiness that contributes to the high-energy effect that the group projects (and obviously cultivates) throughout its performances (even in slower movements).

The program contains both selected movements and complete works--the latter including (in addition to the Castello) Vivaldi's trio sonata RV 63 ("La Folia") and an engaging short sonata by Uccellini. Many of these pieces feature virtuoso solo violin parts, which are ably--often dazzlingly--handled by Julia Wedman and Aisslinn Nosky. There's no question that this group is a first-rate ensemble of serious musicians well-versed in baroque style and form. The instrumental selections certainly will satisfy listeners who love baroque chamber music.

My one big reservation concerns soprano/I Furiosi founder Gabrielle McLaughlin, who's featured on several tracks. Her voice can be uneven, tonally inconsistent, even piercing and unpleasant (Jonathan Eccles' "I burn", from Don Quixote; an aria from Handel's Giulio Cesare), but also very expressive and quite ingratiating (Stradella's "Ohimè Lassa"). Given the formidable competition in this repertoire (Blythe, Lemieux, LeBlanc, Kirkby, to name a few), hers is not a strongly recommendable entry, and as such I'm inclined to focus my rating primarily on the program's instrumental works that alone make a compelling program.

I Furiosi is an impressive and dynamic group of young musicians--and I'm sure that if you hear them live you will come away excited and favorably affected. Much of that spirit is conveyed on this expertly recorded disc, which will have certain appeal to listeners new to this kind of repertoire or who wish to sample it rather than commit to one composer or type of work. Liner notes that we normally expect when we buy a CD are available only online at Dorian's website, a paper-saving/cost-cutting move that some listeners will appreciate and others will just find inconvenient. I enjoyed this recording--especially the Castello and Uccellini--and hope to hear more soon from this unusual and very savvy and stylish group. Recommended.

--David Vernier