While not in the league of Corelli or a handful of some of his better-known contemporaries, Scarlatti borrowed from the best and often successfully recycled what he pilfered--and given the Accademia Bizantina's ravishing performances here, most Baroque enthusiasts will find plenty to enjoy. All of the concertos are in two movements featuring a typically orthodox opening fugue followed by another more progressive one that allows the soloist greater opportunity to improvise. The group's director and harpsichordist Ottavio Dantone (who also was responsible for reconstructing these concertos from often sketchy manuscripts) delivers impassioned, well-considered performances throughout, though his fierce bravura in the Andante con spirito of Concerto III and the contrasting elegance and panache with which he embellishes the Allegro moderato of Concerto IV best make a case for the composer's range and versatility.

Scarlatti especially excelled in oratorio and opera (he wrote hundreds), so as we might expect, the sinfonias are among the most inspired works on the program. The thrilling solo violin and cello passages, particularly in the outer movements of the Sinfonia of Il primo omicidio (The first murder), are quite impressive if not dramatically evocative of the seriousness of the crime in question. Equally fascinating is the sinfonia from L'Assunzione della Beata Vergine (The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin), the opening violin meandering amid fiercely erupting orchestral waves that eventually resolve into a humorous mimicking dialogue between the high and low strings.

Decca's sound is first-rate, with exceptional clarity and ensemble presence. Besides the erudite explanatory notes, Dantone also offers an equally informative discussion of the criteria used for each concerto's reconstruction as well as brief comments about the selected sinfonias. Recommended.