Search - Antonio Vivaldi, Jozef Kopelman, Capella Istropolitana :: Vivaldi: L'Estro Armonico, Op. 3, Nos.1, 2, 4, 7, 8, 10, 11

Slow movements recall fall/winter in Northern climes

Leslie Richford | Selsingen, Lower Saxony | 11/21/2004

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Jozef Kopelman's Vivaldi recording for Naxos was made in fall/winter 1988, and although the fast movements, taken by themselves, have a decidedly Vivaldian freshness to them, it is the leadenly heavy slow movements here which seem to recall climes a lot further North than Vivaldi's Venice: Kopelman's tempi in the largo movements are just too sluggish to be anything other than soporific. The best well-known piece on this CD is Concerto No. 10 (Tacks 18 to 20), a piece which Johann Sebastian Bach turned into an even more exciting harpsichord concerto. There is some pleasant-enough violin playing here, and the sound is comparatively good: I cannot repeat my criticism of previous recordings from the Moyzes Hall in Bratislava/Slovakia, here there is little or no echoing and a warm atmosphere. However, if you are looking for more than just vaguely baroque-sounding entertainment, I would recommend that you search for recordings of these works on period instruments and in historical performance practice (e. g. The English Concert directed by Trevor Pinnock)."

Emotion sacrificed to musical competence

Flos | Wales | 09/03/2008

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Musically highly competent, but where's the Italian passion? This is Vivaldi we're talking about! Slow movements are sluggish, the faster ones lacking emotion. Perhaps suitable as an introduction to Vivaldi, for someone who's never heard it before. My own experience is based on the vivacity of the Virtuosi of England (performing the Four Seasons) and the Parley of Instruments (the Lute and Mandolin Concertos),and in comparison, the performance of the Capella is decidedly lack-lustre."