MUSIC REVIEW : I Musici Veers From Tired to Terrific at Ambassador

The Italian chamber ensemble I Musici is now more than 40 years old, and has begun to sound it.

Once at the forefront of the Italian Baroque music revival,the group now seems almost hopelessly out of style, a quaint reminder of how far we’ve come in understanding this antique repertory.

Yet, after a soporific first half at Ambassador Auditorium Wednesday night, the Rome-based ensemble, headed by violinist Mariana Sirbu from the concertmistress chair, tore into and delivered an astonishing performance of Vivaldi’s “The Four Seasons.”

The program featured Italian concertos. The group’s sound is top-heavy and violin-driven, with the basses and harpsichord following meekly rather than urging the music forward, as is now the historical fashion. In Corelli’s Concerto Grosso, Opus 6, No. 4, it proved too homogenous for the concertino to have much effect, though the playing was polished.

Forgettable is probably too kind a word for the Viola Concerto, Opus 3, by Alessandro Rolla, with its cookie-cutter tunes and etude-book virtuosity. Massimo Paris played it cleanly and tried to squeeze in some nuance, but it lasted a long 25 minutes anyway.

Cellist Francesco Strano made the only strong pre-intermission impression with his wonderfully fragile and rhythmically sculpted reading of Tartini’s Cello Concerto.

The forceful and variegated “Four Seasons” saved the day, however. Sirbu attacked the solo part with equal parts vigor and firm sensitivity, and showed off a world-class technique in the process. The other players painted details convincingly, shaded, sawed and lilted passionately. There’s life in them old bows yet.