American Record Guide, March/April 2001 Review by Thomas McClain Reprinted by permission of ARG Giornovichi: Violin Concertos Tania Davison, Brittany Kotheimer, Sha Ye, Angela Satris, Paul Yeager, violins; Starling Chamber Orchestra/Kurt Sassmannshaus Another remarkable musical find, and another remarkable presentation by the Starling Chamber Orchestra. Giovanni Mane Giornovichi (1735-1804) also spelled his name Giornovici, Jarnovic, Jarnovich, and other variations. (In Russia, naturally, his first name was Ivan). He was born in Sicily, or possibly aboard ship off the Sicilian coast, and was a pupil of Lolli, whose bad habits he seems to have absorbed along with his technical skill. He spent most of his life travelling, usually to get away from one scandal or another. He appeared in London in the 1790s, achieving considerable success, and was highly regarded in Russia, where he died in 1804, reportedly while playing billiards. Not the sort of character I would want my children associating with. The young musicians of the Starling Project were spared contact with the man by nearly two centuries. And his music is fascinating. His fellow composer Adalbert Gyrowetz (1763-1850) compared him favorably to Mozart and Haydn-an exaggerated but not pointless comparison. (Gyrowetz also orchestrated at least one of the concertos.) The music is late classical, tasteful, attractive, and original. There is lots of virtuoso display for the soloist, and the ensemble is not neglected. The works are remarkably diverse, and the finale of Concerto 10 is a set of variations on 'Ein Mädchen oder Weibchen' from Mozart's Magic Flute. Each work has its own charms, and each is definitely worth hearing. What about the performances? I have praised previous recordings by the Starling Project, a Cincinnati-based ensemble of teenaged musicians. This one is as good as or better than their previous efforts. The ensemble offers attractive tone, solid musicianship, and genuine feeling for the music. Their performances sound completely professional; no need to let their youth put you off. Maestro Kurt Sassmannshaus, their founder and conductor, knows exactly what to do with his players. Each soloist does his or her part with aplomb. Cadenzas are not identified; presumably they are the composer's. The sound is excellent, recorded in 1995 and 1996 in the concert hall at Aspen (disc 1) and in Cincinnati's Scottish Rite Auditorium. Both locations offer excellent sonics. I enjoyed this one very much, and I definitely recommend it to you. The notes are good, packaging attractive. Arte Nova is to be commended for their role in this enterprise, and the Starlings for their all-round excellence. The three discs are also available individually.