The context for this recital is a visit made by the great flutist Quantz to Naples in the papal Holy Year of 1725. The great virtuoso inspired sonatas and concertos by Alessandro Scarlatti and some of his most talented successors. Now Maurice Steger brings these treasures back to life, drawing on an actual Neapolitan collection dating from 1725. The music bills and coos as much as any mere human could bear to listen to without feeling true love. The highlight is a brilliant performance of Alessandro Scarlatti’s extended improvisation on “Follia di Spagna,” with an indecently sumptuous accompaniment from the all-star backing crew. The 30-minute DVD gazes luxuriously and affectionately on the musicians and their instruments while Steger narrates a guided tour with excerpts of the musical delights of another city in Italy that was not Venice where the recorder flourished.

Laurence Vittes, The Huffington Post, USA