From his early works (among which there are the sonatas on this CD) to his last cantatas, Benedetto Marcello’s compositions grew increasingly complex and intriguing until he was universally regarded as one of the major composers of his day, praised by Telemann, Bononcini and Mattheson, among others. Later generations have considered him, along with Handel, the direct precursor of Gluck. The charming flute sonatas recorded here are familiar early works. Born in 1686, Marcello died in 1739.