Antonio Vivaldi Andrea Marcon Giuliano Carmignola - Antonio Vivaldi Late Violin Concertos RV177 RV222 RV273 RV295 RV375 RV191 Giuliano Carmignola Venice Baroque Orchestra Andrea Marcon (18 tracks) +Album Reviews

#1 hit record!

Jonathan J. Casey | the twin cities | 09/19/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I'm distressed to hear this recording described as music that "doesn't sound baroque" as if it were a good thing. Why would you feel compelled to buy music you don't actually like? It seems obvious to me that you should listen to what you enjoy, rather than trying to force baroque music to sound like what you're used to. In fact, the existence of period instrument orchestras such as the Venice Baroque can be traced back to a reaction against the plodding, large orchestras of yesteryear. While they may not play at period pitch (slightly lower than today's concert "A"), this group performs with smaller numbers and the lighter textures afforded by gut strings and early bow design. What we get may not be "authentic," per se, but it is certainly a more favorable listening environment in which the music of Vivaldi can truly shine. Conductor Marcon plays harpsichord along with a second keyboardist. An archlute rounds out the continuo- but most people are probably here to hear Carmignola. It seems he's being groomed for the level of stardom that has overlooked historically-informed performers so far (probably the next biggest name in baroque violin, Andrew Manze, is still small beans compared to a Shaham or Mutter). I believe he will be well suited to it, as he commands great skill and passion on the instrument. While I avoided the first release of this group (I don't need a third recording of the four seasons, do I?) I was interested to hear them, and these "world premiere" recordings of obscure Vivaldi works. I'm pretty happy with it. Though they aren't as groundbreaking as Europa Galante or Il Giardino Armonico, the Venice Baroque are a fine ensemble, and Carmignola has a long career ahead of him, I'm sure. This is baroque music, to be sure, with a nod to the Galant which was, I suppose, looking ahead to Romanticism. Don't expect Wagner, though. This is still Vivaldi, 18th century, pre-Sturm und Drang. Give it a listen- you might even enjoy yourself."

High Standards Met in this BreakThrough Baroque Recording

rodboomboom | Dearborn, Michigan United States | 09/13/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Appetite wetted for this collection through clips played on beethoven.com, which made me want more.This is truly a beautiful recording of Vivaldi concertos never recorded before, due to the business decision made in the composer's later years to not mass distribute his compositions.Thus, these concertos burst forth in the new, more non-conventional style. Not in the style of the Four Seasons, these are glorious, non-symmetrical freedom. Musical instruments of the period are unlike any this reviewer has heard, they do sound as another reviewer remarked: "unbaroque." These strings sing and roar at times, sensitive and plucked at others. Brilliance pours forth from this disc. Truly enjoyable!"

Splendidamente Brillante!

The English Chap | Pennsylvania, USA | 03/17/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"No orchestral group captures classical Baroque and Vivaldi better than the Venice Baroque Orchestra. These scholars have perfected the Baroque style, and have epitomised Antonio Vivaldi's late style with a flowing grace. Vivaldi happens to be my favourite composer, and being a violinist myself, I naturally appreciate the Baroque style and the ability to play it right. Giuliano Carmignola does a "magnifico" job at executing these concerto's in a true Baroque sense. The Venice Baroque Orchestra never ceases to amaze me. I only wish there were more recordings of them. I also wish there were more Antonia Vivaldi recordings. The concertos on this recording were some of Vivaldi's last works, and he never had them published or distributed. In fact this recording is the very first recording of these concertos! Vivaldi, after directing them gave or sold these pieces to friends and acquaintances and they have been kept in the families for generations, and not until the Venice Baroque Orchestra performed and recorded them did they become heard by the vast public. Concerto is E Minor happens to be my favourite on this CD and really captures Vivaldi's late style. In order to compete with the younger composers of the time, Vivaldi was forced to write more passionate and powerful pieces. As with everything he composed, Vivaldi did it with perfection. This "red headed priest" reached his climax towards the end of his life, in my opinion, and these concertos are evidence of that climax. This is an ecellent recording of fine classical baroque...don't hestitate...acquire this...you won't regret it."

Baroque that doesn't sound like Baroque

Jonathan J. Casey | 09/05/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I purchased this album on impulse, although Vivaldi is one of my favorite composers. Did I actually need more Vivaldi??? Well, I'm glad I had the impulse, because this album has continually given me hours of pleasure. The concertos are rich in sound, rather like Vivaldi had met Rachmaninoff -- gone are the bouncy and cheerful Baroque movements, but they are replaced by fluidity and romance, rather like Vivaldi had outgrown the Baroque and foreshadowed the Romantics. The orchestra is well-balanced, and there isn't too much of the harpsicord (which I can do without). All instruments blend well, including Carmignola's violin. The music is entertaining and well as calming -- it's quite an experience to hear Baroque not just played and presented well, but smoothed into gentle, subtle and evocative tones. The sound on this album is clear and clean -- no distracting noises that often ruin such fine performances. I highly recommend this album to anyone who likes Baroque and even to those who don't, because this is the least baroque Baroque you may find."

A Must Have

Andrew Judkins | USA | 10/25/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This cd, as well as Carmignola and the VBO's version of the four seasons (and 3 other perviously unrecorded late violin concertos) and their 2002 cd (mint green cd) of Vivaldi Late violin concertos are a must have for any fan of classical music or the violin.

The material here is first rate--these are concertos written late in Vivaldi's career for purposes that did not require the satisfaction of a mass audiance. Vivaldi was not after popularity in this style. The solo violin part is very difficult even by current standards, requiring not only pure virtuosity, but also a massive expressive palette. Carmignola and the Venice Baroque orchestra are the perfect preformers to bring this deep and inovative music to life. Carmignola has a huge expressive palette to draw on, and will impress you with the variety of coloring he can achive. He loves to juxtapose the smooth with the jagged, the husky with the sparkling. His expressive interpretations so match Vivaldi's intent in the music that it is almost as if Vivaldi has sprung to life, picked up his violin and started playing his favorite works. His upper range sparkles and sings, his lower range groans and growls. This is great violin playing by any standard; baroque, modern, academic, recreational, artistic, intellectual... Listen to the artiuclation and what Carmignola does with his bow. The Venice Baroque Orchestra is not far behind this standard. Their emoting covers the range Vivaldi requires--which is huge, and the violins shine. This is a very tight group with a transparent sound-- all the parts blend into a whole but are at any moment audible as their own entities. The continuo is entertaining and effective without being distracting. I espesially like the archlute playing with adds great touches. The orchestra is not without fault, though. The violas and espesially the cellos and violone (double bass viol) need to play out more. In the first mvt. of the Bflat concerto the cellos play a strange and hypnotic ritornello melody, but we often miss it because the cellos don't play out and the high strings cover too well with their long tones. This moment stands out as a disappointment, but tutti sections are plagued by a weak bass throughout the cd. The continuo (during solos) cello, however, is a good compliment to the violin.

And just listen to these concertos, which stand with any violin composer in the literature! There is the opening mvt of the cd, in which the orchestra churns and drives wild rythms and the bass explodes, but the soloist brings us to the silken shimmer of a utopian lake, calm yet unlimitedly complex in it's motion and mood. The D major concerto is a celebration of life and it's andante is soothing yet awing in it's lyrical invention. The 1st mvt. of the e minor concerto chills the bones and remindes me of a bleak winter day. It was probibly one of Vivaldi's last works and you can sence a bitterness and a cold frailty still punctuated by firey fits (this is the red priest after all). Yet it's an optimistic work in it's cleverness with innovative and disconcerting waves of melodic cells. The F major concerto is a rustc veiw, bold and rough, yet sublime, too. The Bflat concerto is shrouded in mystery from the opening measures, although the soloist brings us out of the fogs and into a clearer yet still perplexing landscape. The jovial 3rd mvt. is a more confidant place dappled by sun. The 1st mvt. of the C rv.191 concerto is shocking in its audacious contrasts. Vivaldi versus smooth melody with angular leaps in the solos and adds a tradmark molto perpetuo that gurgles like a brook. The slow mvt is meditative and content. The 3rd mvt. brings us to a jittry conclusion full of humor and optimism-- it shivers and tumbles along like a playful act of nature.

If you don't own this cd, you should add it to your collection. Along with it's two companions it will enrich you musical life."

Search - Antonio Vivaldi, Andrea Marcon, Giuliano Carmignola :: Antonio Vivaldi: Late Violin Concertos (RV177 / RV222 / RV273 / RV295 / RV375 / RV191) - Giuliano Carmignola / Venice Baroque Orchestra / Andrea Marcon

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