Vivaldi: Il Teuzzone

This is - as someone points out - a "mediocre recording". It appears to be a live recording of a `revival' of the opera, 250 years on, in Mantua by a local group of musicians. There are times when the strain of production shows: late in the first act a violinist loses his tuning and one has to take the will for the deed for a few bars. That said, there are still many good things here. In the first act there is a wonderful bass and oboe duet, a sly and funny soprano aria directed by the villainess at one lover, then another and then at the audience. (This is so delightful that a similar aria occurs in the third act) and some lovely work by all the singers throughout. There is nothing like a live performance to bring out the best in good musicians, even if they are not famous names. (Listening to this recording , I wondered if this is not the way Vivaldi himself might have heard it at the premier: rushed rehearsals, local musicians, last minute changes.) I might add that the recetitives are performed slowly, not in the rather rushed manner I hear so often in "better" recent recordings of Vivaldi's operas. This allows a non-Italian speaker time to follow the enclosed libretto. (There is no translation, but with a few years of side by side translation experience and the excellent synopsis enclosed, I was able to follow the action fairly well.) One thing not mediocre here is the recording itself. Everything is audible - good and bad - and nicely balanced. Given that this is the only recording available and the price is so low (I might have added a star for that.) a Vivaldi lover might do worse.

i'm not an expert on vivaldi but,this is beautiful music.the recording is good,the performance even better.so what if its not perfect this is music to be heard and enjoyed.not many recordings of this available but it doesn't matter this recording is well worth buying.