This recording of Baroque concertos was prepared especially with the Christmas season in mind. Some of the concertos were in fact composed specifically for Christmas, the most famous example being Corelli’s Concerto Grosso No. 8 in G Minor, which bears the inscription «fatto per la notte di Natale» (composed for Christmas eve). The innovations and improvements in violin construction and performance techniques are especially evident in these compositions. The selection of works also reflects, however, the preference of many Baroque composers for the oboe as a solo instrument, as in the concertos by Händel and Marcello, brilliantly interpreted by the young Swiss oboist Barbara Tillmann.

This festive, sprightly music is performed by the well-known Czech ensemble Virtuosi di Praga under the direction of Chantal Wuhrmann.