There are two lines of thought going on in this enjoyable collaboration between violinist Chouchane Siranossian, harpsichordist Leonardo García Alarcón and cellist (also bass violin) Balázs Máté. The first, as its title suggests, is about delving into the riches of the violin repertoire pre-dating Johann Sebastian Bach and his own sonatas – works born in the period when the violin first rose to prominence as a highly virtuoso solo instrument, and employing such techniques as left-hand pizzicato and scordatura. The second is about exploring the interplay between this early violin repertoire and the concurrently developing vocal repertoire of composers such as Monteverdi, given that it was the violin’s supporting role in this context that pushed its own music to further heights of expression. The programme therefore presents an engrossing juxtaposition of works by JS Bach – his Sonatas for violin and continuo BWV1021 and 1023, along with the Adagio from BWV1024 and the G minor Fugue from BWV1026 – punctuated by key representatives from different violin schools of previous generations, who appear (mostly) in chronological order: Carlo Farina (1600 39), Johann Jakob Walther (1650-1717), Georg Muffat (1653-1704), Johann Paul von Westhoff (1656-1705) and Andreas Anton Schmelzer (1653 1701).

The performances are notable for the superglue-tight, warm responsiveness of the trio relationship across the programme. Siranossian herself – on an array of bows which begin short, light and bouncy with the Farina, then lengthen as the repertoire moves forwards in time – delivers supple, improvisatory readings with an attractively powerful voice that’s rich and burnished down low, sweet and bright up top, and unfailingly lyrical and expressive whether she’s bringing fiery panache to moments such BWV1023’s Ouverture or taut delicacy to Westhoff’s hushed Sonata No 3, Imitazione delle campane. This latter work is stunning for the range of different shades of quiet she brings to its hushed two minutes of continuous bariolage, supported by just a simple skeleton bass line from an attentive Máté. Perhaps most unmissable of all, though, is her barnstorming reading of Schmelzer’s Victori der Christen, with its extra scordatura colour, and switchings between slow-moving sections of reverential contemplation, feistily theatrical leaping spiccato and double-stop heavy passagework. No wonder chronological order has been thrown to the wind in order for it to be cast as the recital’s climactic moment.

All in all, one of the most attractive and interesting Baroque programmes I’ve heard for a while.