Classical reviews

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> The Fitzwilliam Virginal Book. Martin Souter. Gift of Music (2 CDs).

Souter, using harpsichord, clavichord, virginals and organ, exquisitely plays works from The Fitzwilliam Virginal Book, compiled between 1612 and 1619 by Francis Tregian while in the Fleet prison in London.

That Book consists of a small folio volume of 220 leaves of paper, 209 of which are filled with music, written on six-line staves. It's one of the world's most important manuscripts of keyboard music.

The greatest composer culled from The Fitzwilliam Virginal Book is William Byrd (c.1543-1628). Other composers in this recital include John Bull, Giles Farnaby and Peter Philips.

Music ranges from contrapuntal fantasias to short arrangements of popular songs and dances. There are also slow and fast dances, the pavan and galliard, all conveying the joy of 17th-century music.

Highlight: Farnaby's musical self-portraits.

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> Very Best of Placido Domingo. Placido Domingo (tenor). EMI (2 CDs).

These 39 tracks endorse the booklet's assertion Domingo is one of the truly great operatic stars of any time. He has more than 110 roles in his repertoire (40 is a respected total for an opera singer), and is the most recorded tenor in history - more than 80 complete accounts to date of operas in the Italian, French, German and Russian traditions.

Listen to his delightful Mozart, ringing renditions of the most challenging high Italian roles, powerful accounts of some of the German/Russian repertoire and some nostalgic songs from the light Spanish tradition. The great man's rich, impeccable voice is shown at its best in this compilation.

Grizzle: No lyrics or translations in booklet.

Highlight: Thrilling climax to O Souverain, the prayer from Massenet's El Cid.

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