25 Vivaldi Favorites [Import]

Wait till you hear track 6, "Et in terra Pax from 'Gloria', by the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, for instance, or track 14, from Stabat Mater Dolorosa, sung by Margarethe Bence with the Alto Pro Music Orchestra of Stuttgart. We are transported into the heights of the etherial world of sacred music, right up into the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, yet with that unmistakable touch of Vivaldi, who could be both consumately sacred and masterfully secular as he wished -- or even both at the same time. As has been proven again and again in the 20th century, Vivaldi was one of the greatest composers in history, and every classical music lover should have this CD in his or her collection.

I have a lot of Vivaldi recordings by period music ensembles like the virtuosic Il Giardino Armonico (who recorded the two best DVDs of Vivaldi works in existence, one with Cecilia Bartoli) and the somewhat more conservative Europa Gallante, led by Fabio Biondi. Then there are CDs by individual masters like Andrea Marcon (with the Venice Baroque Orchestra) and the immortal Nigel Kennedy (with the English Chamber Orchestra). Older classics re-released on CD include recordings by the Academy of St Martin-in-the-Fields, the Orchestra of the 18th Century, and the Romero family (Los Romeros). And the list goes on and on. All are superb recordings that have given me hours of pleasure.

But this "bargain" CD rates right up there with the best of them, and I highly recommend it both for those who are just beginning to discover the wonders of Vivaldi's music and for "hardened" veterans. If it had been issued as a full price CD it might have had trouble getting known in such a crowded and competitive field, but it would have deserved every bit as much praise as I have given it here. As a collection of superb performances of many of Vivaldi's greatest masterpieces by a wide variety of different ensembles, it even has something to commend it over recordings by a single artist or a single ensemble. Buy it and enjoy!

"25 VIVALDI FAVORITES". "EDITED FOR LEISURE LISTENING" (see below). "Antonio Vivaldi, who lived in 18th Century Venice, was the greatest composer/violinist of his period who penned literally hundreds of wonderful works memorable for their charm, vitality and originality of expression. This CD includes many of his last tunes from his vast output."

What this translates to is that VOXCD has chosen and selected the best of Vivaldi's output, whether trumpet concerto, string symphony or soprano aria and blended them into a quite pleasurable "Afternoon With" or "Evening With" that composer.

The performers are diverse. The sound quality is excellent. There are selections (repeat, selections) from "The Four Seasons", religious music and about a dozen concertos. This is what is meant by "Edited" - they have not been rewritten. What Vox has arrived at is a 78 minutes 37 second All-Vivaldi concert that will please even the most discriminating and most incapable-of-discriminating members of your friends and family.