Alessandro Stradella was one of the more colorful characters of the 17th-century musical world: a Roman aristocrat, composer, marriage broker (!) and spendthrift who was chased by scandal and debt from Rome to Venice to Turin to Genoa, where he was stabbed to death at age 38. The music on this disc--two sinfonias (for violin and viola da gamba with continuo) and four cantatas for solo soprano--is entirely worthy of such a personality: melodies that don"t end quite where you"d expect; impossibly long, giddy coloratura phrases; surprising effects, such as those of a violin playing a melody in parallel thirds using double-stops. It"s very challenging for the musicians, certainly; but as this disc demonstrates, it"s heady stuff when performed well. The instrumentalists, especially violinist Ingrid Matthews and gambist Mary Springfels, play with a winning combination of energy, good taste, and striking tone. Christine Brandes"s slight, clear soprano isn"t particularly distinctive, but she"s an outstanding singer. The rapid descending scales of a jilted lover"s furious lament, the lively grace of a simple triple-time air, the impossibly long runs and high notes of the extravagantly lamenting Ariadne: whatever Scarlatti dishes out, she handles with ease. --Matthew Westphal