Ostro Picta Armata Spina/ Glo

I love this recording. Emma Kirkby's voice compensates for all other (slight) deficiencies. She is truly a great singer: vivacious, lively, energetic and lovely. Her tone is sweet and pure; it is as if this music was written for her. The other vocalists, with the exception of the Michael Chance (his voice is just not to my taste), shine almost as brightly. The instrumental soloists are delightful.

Hickox is not a favorite conductor of mine, but on this one he hits it. And the recording is great. The violins are clear; often on recordings like this the instruments are buried or muddy. Here they are strong without overwhelming. Good balance, good sound, good material, and an extraordinary soloist surrounded by excellent ones. A delight from beginning to end. Don't miss it.

Antonio Vivaldi (1678 - 1741): Ostro picta, armata spina RV 642 (Introduction to "Gloria"); Gloria for Soli, Choir and Orchestra, RV 589; Johann Sebastian Bach (1685 - 1750): Magnificat for Soli, Choir and Orchester, BWV 243. Performers: Emma Kirkby (soprano I); Tessa Bonner (soprano II); Michael Chance (altus); John Mark Ainsley (tenor); Stephen Varcoe (baritone); Collegium Musicum 90 (leader: Simon Standage), dir. Richard Hickox. Recorded at St. Jude's Church, Central Square, London from 26th to 28th November 1990. Published in 1991 as Chandos Chaconne 0518. Total playing time: 64'08".

The early music movement has produced numerous recordings of Vivaldi's "Gloria" and Bach's "Magnificat", several of which had already taken their place on my CD shelf, so I hesitated quite some time before ordering this version by the late Richard Hickox and starring well-known British soloists. A session in front of the loudspeakers, however, was able to banish all doubts - this at once became my favourite version. The seven-minute long introductory cantata "Ostro picta" (with Emma Kirkby in fantastic form) is just the start of an hour of glorious musicianship. Vivaldi's "Gloria" is played with zest and transparency, both the choir and the three soloists (Emma Kirkby, Tessa Bonner and Michael Chance) are able to impress with voices which are silken, ideally suiting the text and perfectly recorded. And these are complemented by instrumental playing of magical surefootedness and intelligence. Both here and in Bach's "Magnificat" one can hear Michael Chance singing as one seldom hears an English countertenor: there can be but few female altos who are able to sing these passages so smoothly, so sensitively and so beautifully. Tessa Bonner, too, with her girl-like timbre, sounds uncommonly good - to say nothing of the absolutely impeccable performance by Dame Emma Kirkby. The "Magnificat" is sung with a full choir (6 sopranos and four each of alto, tenor and bass), the tempi are quite fast but never rushed, and I felt that the excellently captured orchestral accompaniment (natural trumpets!) was "just right" - my compliments to Collegium Musicum 90 which was here recording its first ever vocal disc. I have also been listening recently to Andrew Parrott's recording of the "Magnificat" (together with the Ascension Oratorio) for EMI, but I have come to the conclusion that Hickox is just that little bit better, this being mainly due to his more convincing choice of tempi, but also to his better soloists; apart from this, the Chandos engineering is more natural and more radiant than Parrott's studio recording (also made in 1990). All in all, I found Hickox also to be more pleasing than the almost over-cultivated Philips recording by John Eliot Gardiner's Monteverdi Choir and the Harmonia Mundi version with the Collegium Vocale directed by Philippe Herrweghe (which has a superb choral performance but somehow remains without enough contours). Of course, all the recordings mentioned are excellent, but for me the Hickox version on Chandos is the new reference. Precious indeed!

AWESOME 'OSTRO' - MAGNIFICENT 'MAGNIFICAT'- GLORIOUS 'GLORIA' - RICHARD HICKOX, GO TO THE THE 'HEAD OF THE CLASS'!

Antonio Vivaldi (1675-174l) was both priest and musician composing both
sacred music and music for the Theatre, which definitely is reflected in his 'Gloria'. Vivaldi's sacred music may be divided into works with a liturgical text, and occasional, non-liturgical pieces, like 'Ostro picta, armata spina'(Dyed with crimson, armed with thorns) which belongs to a genre known as the 'introduzione'. Such works were essentially solo motets on freely-invented Latin texts and were intended to introduce a liturgical item. 'Ostro picta' consists simply of two da capo arias for soprano and strings separated by a brief recitative, and performed brilliantly on this disc by Emma Kirkby. Since 'Ostro picta' shares the same key and several thematic and textual links with the 'Gloria' RV589, they may well have been written to be performed together on certain festive occasions.

The 'Gloria' is cast in 12 movements, the choruses alternating with solos for two sopranos and an alto. It is filled with brilliance and energy from the beginning opening chorus to the meditative alto solo close to the end "Qui Sedes ad Dexteram". To avoid too loose a structure Vivaldi re-uses music from the opening movement in the chorus 'Quoniam tu solus sanctus', and provides a splendid climax to the work with an exhilarating choral fugue, 'Cum Sancto Spiritu', which is actually a re-working of a fugue by one of his contemporaries.

Like Vivaldi's 'Gloria', Bach (1685-1750) divides his setting of the 'Magnificat' into 12 contrasting movements each treating a short section of the text. It is scored for a 5 part choir; 5 soloists (SSATB), as well as flutes, oboes, trumpets in 3 parts, drums, strings and continuo. The opening section of the 'Magnificat' sets the stage for all that follows. The festive tone is set immediately by the opening chorus which is animated, but not rushed. Each of the five soloists (SSATB)has an individual aria, introduced and articulated by instrumental ritornelli. One of the most beautiful duets in this work is :"Et Misericordia" sung with incredible beauty by Michael Chance (counter-tenor) and John Mark Ainsley (tenor). Interspersed with the solo movements there are three fine fugal choruses. The work ends with a traditional musical pun as Bach returns to the brilliant music of the opening chorus at the words 'sicut erat in principio'- 'as it was in the beginning'.

When I purchased this disc it was for the sole purpose of hearing Michael Chance's voice as it sounded in this rendition from 1990 as opposed to Cleobury's 2001 recording in which he also sang the same line-up as in 1990. I am happy to say that he sounds every bit as excellent as he did then.

But, in addition to answering that question, I discovered a wonderful performance of both the 'Gloria' and the 'Magnificat.' And even though I do like Cleobury's recording of both works, this is just another interpretation every bit as excellent, but certainly with a different flavor.

The Hickox goes slightly faster in the 'fast' and slower in the 'slow' parts. Therefore, the soloists seem to have a bit more freedom in their renditions. While both discs have great soloists, I have always personally preferred Emma Kirkby; she seems so 'baroque' in her approach. As for the tenors, both discs are equal; how can one say that John Mark Ainsley is better than James Gilchrist or vice versa. I have to give the edge to Steven Varcoe, bass (great resonance).

The orchestra performed well, especially noted was the performance of the oboe and cello who had several solo passages. Overall Hickox seemed to prefer a more romantic approach than Cleobury, but I'll listen to both (not at the same time, of course). Richard Hickox directs his forces with great acumen, and is always in control. The Collegium Musicum 90, vocal and instrumental forces capture the prize for technical accuracy and musical passion, sometimes lacking in period performances.

Hickox passed away several weeks ago and whenever I listen to this wonderful rendition and many others that he conducted, I am reminded about how much he will be missed in the world of music!