If you're already an Andrew Manze fan, you probably have most if not all of the recordings represented on this compilation (22 tracks from 11 albums, ranging from composers as well-loved as Bach and Vivaldi to the more obscure Pandolfi and Rebel). Even so, hearing these selections back-to-back is a reminder of just how dazzling he is, a virtuoso technician with a limitless imagination. With Manze, there's no need to qualify his talents (something along the lines of "well, he's quite good for one of those early music/period performance fiends"). He's not just a great Baroque violinist; he is among today's pre-eminent musicians, period. And if you haven't delved into his recordings yet, here's a golden opportunity.

Even if you do already own his catalog, Portrait is almost worth the budget purchase price for Manze's thoughtful and well-written liner notes. Far from giving a self-serving recitation of his accomplishments, he has provided an absorbing essay that addressses some of the issues surrounding historically informed performance practices as well as his own attraction to the Baroque repertoire. (The highly articulate Manze, who read Classics at Cambridge, is a stark contrast to many other musicians whose educations have been, shall we say, largely limited to the practice room.) Whether Manze is performing solo or with the Academy of Ancient Music, the sound is uniformly crisp and excitingly present.

--Anastasia Tsioulcas