Both Vivaldi and Albinoni were generous to the oboe, but whilst the former wrote violinistically for it, the latter treated it like a human voice, as befitted the composer of more than 50 known operas—an association that is reflected in the presentation of the thematic material of the concertos. The oboe participates in, rather than dominates, these works in a chamber-music-like fashion. Each of the four groups of three into which the concertos of Op. 9 fall consists of one for the violin, one for solo oboe and one for two oboes, in that order. All 12 would not fit on to one disc but those for oboe(s) would; why No. 12 was omitted from this issue is unexplained.
Albinoni had already experimented seven years earlier with the genre in his pioneering with-oboe(s) Concerti a cinque, Op. 7, the weaknesses in which were rectified in those of the more mature Op. 9. He was not in the business of springing harmonic surprises, but was a fluent writer of engaging tunes, particularly those in the Adagios—each of these works has one—and of elegant discourses between the soloist(s) and the upper strings.
Anthony Camden and Julia Girdwood produce liquid sounds from their modern instruments and are as meltingly expressive in the slow movements as they are light on their feet in the flanking ones. The London Virtuosi, also using modern strings, have a nice, clean air about them and give the music neither more nor less than its due. The recording is bright and well balanced.'