The recorder was the favourite instrument of amateur musicians in the 17th and 18th centuries, but many renowned virtuosos also gave it preference. But who were the composers of music for this flattering-sounding wind instrument in Italy at the time? Were they original compositions or transcriptions, and which instruments in the flute family were played?

The young Swiss recorder virtuoso Maurice Steger, accompanied by his Continuo Consort conducted by Naoki Kitaya, answers these questions with a performance full of vivacity and tension. The recording contains works by Arcangelo Corelli, Benedetto Marcello, Antonio Vivaldi, Marco Uccellini, Dario Castello, Francesco Mancini and Giovanni Antonio Pandolfi Mealli, all performed with that incomparable blend of historical authenticity and modern freshness that distinguishes these musicians.

The first two recordings with Maurice Steger, ‘An Italian Ground’ - baroque music in the Italian style (CD 50-9407) and ‘An English Collection’ - recorder music from London in the 1700s (CD 50-9614) were very well received by the press and critics and have won several international awards.