Search - Vivaldi, Negri, Eco :: Sacred Choral Music, Volume 1 / Gloria

Vivaldi heavenly music for sacred ears

capezio | Vitoria, ES Brazil | 06/16/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is the first of 05 PHILIPS CD collection (420 648-2 to 652-2) and are among the best aviable. Altough recorded in the mid 70's and sometimes little heavy handed for 2005 Vivaldi lovers, it still very enjoyable. They are either dificult to find. Since the CD nº 01 to the last one, I took 15 years to complete the pack. On Amazon I have searched many times for nº 03, buying it, at last, this in july/2002. It's a great pack.

Vivaldi is well known for his nearly 450 string concertos specially for the first four of the 12 "Il cemento de l'armonia e invenzioni" commonlly known as the "Four Seasons", solded by thousands worldwide. Not so familiar are the choral works, wrote on the La Pieta charitable institution on Venice between 1703-17, most of them constituted by Psamls settings for choral and orchestra (Psalms 69,111,115,121,110,etc), and maybe the most popular is certainly the Glória RV589 recorded here in the first CD. The conductor Negri is what we call a "Vivaldologist" and pick by his fingers the ideal players he wants to make this job. And they are really fantastic: tenor Anthony Rolfe Johnson, sopranos Margaret Marshall and Felicity Lott, contralto Ann Murray, a great John Aldis Choir and an excelelent English Chamber Orchestra. The recordings are cristal clear and the ADD bass register is inspiring. You just have to seat and enjoy. The booklet is presented in four languages and give many historical details of the pieces, by Mr. Michel Talbot. On the series you'll see some compact works for one and for two choir and two orchestras together (these lasts were masterlly wrote, like Lauda jerusalem RV609 (on this CD) and "Domine ad adiuvandum me" RV593 (on disc 04); The same formation is used for longer settings like the Beatus Vir RV 597 (on disc 04) and Laudate Pueri on this CD. The reflexive movements like the openings of the Magnificats RV 610 (on disc 04) and RV611 (on disc 02) make you fell in heaven. Some other recording labels like Archiv and ASV you find some sets of this collection recorded on CD. The ASV team are either very fine with brisk tempos and a modern aproach of the pieces. Their're another good option, if you can find them. Hyperion have released a 10 CD complete collection with Robert King in a modern light view of these works in a excelent playing and recording. You can find them on Amazon (ASIN B00009WQUZ).

I rate this collection 5 star considering the virtuosity of the players, the quallity of the recording and the scarcity of these items on the marketplace (even on Amazon). I do recomend you listen to them (many, many times if possible) especially if you are a sacred-choral / Vivaldi-lover-admirer and are fond of the everlastig Word of God. Good listening. Capezio

"

Best of Vivaldi- Best CD ever..¿?

Alvaro Mateos | spain | 05/24/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Margaret Marshall and Vittorio Negri at their best.

I listen to dozens of Vivaldi records. I own this one for more than 8 years, hopefully I bought it in this single edition as the text is more complete, I love to read the latin version and the translation into english; religious chants made poetry. I also have the philips set of 10 cd's absolutely recomended for sacred music lovers.



From my 1000 cd collection, I would choose this among other 10.



Margaret Marshall is my favorite female voice ever...! If you like her I would also recommend Pergolesi Stabat Matter with Claudio Abbado, on DG.



It is a pitty that Philips did NOT remastered this CD for the 10 cd set. CD recordings in the early '90 where terrible bad transfered into digital and this is no exception...



Please, please at least listen for theme nº.26 Laudate Dominum...!"