“The [Handel] B minor trio sonata (Opus 2, No. 1) has a melancholy beauty that is immediately memorable, but more importantly, the fabric of the music—its counterpoint, its melodies, its harmonic structure—breathes with an irresistible inner life. In their performance of this sonata, the four Tempesta players breathed, too; there was a richness and expansiveness to their reading that showcased their considerable individual abilities, as well as their excellence as an ensemble. The same feeling of strength and confidence was evident in another trio sonata from the Handel Opus 2 set (No. 4 in F). There were some nice detail touches, such as a brief, uniform pianissimo moment toward the end of the second movement, that added wit to the group’s overall concentration on giving each movement a distinct character. Perhaps best of all was the final Handel selection, a contemporary arrangement of four numbers from Rinaldo, the composer’s first opera for the English stage. The fugue in the second half of the Overture, begun by Ngai, was admirable for its clarity and precision, and Roberts and Ngai played the well-known tune of “Lascia ch’io pianga” with real warmth. What was remarkable here was how much sound and sheer power could be generated by four people playing music of such bare-bones texture. The answer, probably, is that these are people who know how to make Baroque-era instruments sound their best, but also for whom Baroque music is a source of unending interest and delight. And their skill—displayed again during the encore—is such that they can make us appreciate their commitment at the same time as they enchant us with the sheer loveliness of the music they make.” Palm Beach Daily News, March 2009.
