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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
14 of 14 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
The first volume of Concerti per molti strumenti (called Concerti per mandolinio) was a real knock-out. This second volume will prove that there is a lot more Vivaldi to discover.
The first concerto of this CD is a Concerto a 10 V in D. The recorded sound is excellent and the majestical slow opening with horns and timpani will get the hairs on your arms to stand stright up!
The slow movements (an alternate second movement with solo organ is also present) are both heartrendering and conveyes the impression of entering an mini-opera without words.
The D minor concerto (RV566)for 2 violins, 2 recorders, 2 oboes and bassoon is also breathtaking. It is probably also written for the Saxon court as many of the other concertos on the first volume.
The other concertos are also so full of masterly music that it is difficult to single out the peaks.
Special mention should perhaps be taken of the concerto for viola d'amore and lute in D minor (RV540) with Fabio Biondi and Giangiacomo Pinardi. This is a concerto that makes extreme demands on articulation (in Harnoncourt's sense of the word) and the absense of the heavy basso continuo in all but a few ritornelli makes this true chamber music. The concerto brims full of melancholy and despair. Biondi and Pinardi shades and lightens the music with keen and expressive outburst. In the wrong hands I suspect that this concerto could be a little too pedestrian, but in the hands of a true master it is revealed to be perhaps the best concerto Vivaldi ever wrote (listening to it while I'm writing this this seems to be an understatement - it is really beyond words...).
Strong compeditors in RV 540 are Jacob Lundberg and the Drottningholm Orchestra on BIS. But Biondi and Pinardi are superior in every way. Not least the flexible tempi of Biondi & Co. are a constant drive to the build up and release of tensions and surprising harmonic turns in this concerto.
The last work on the CD is a concerto for 4 violins, strings and bc. This rare combination was the showcase for many composers and violinist in Italy and called forth a lot of extreemely viroutousic music, Vivaldi was no exception! (If you are interested in more concertos of this kind you should try out Goebel & Musica Antiqua Köln's fantastic CD with concertos for 4 violins on ARCHIV 445 612-2, "Italian violin concertos", recorded in 1992).
Vivi felice!
The first concerto of this CD is a Concerto a 10 V in D. The recorded sound is excellent and the majestical slow opening with horns and timpani will get the hairs on your arms to stand stright up!
The slow movements (an alternate second movement with solo organ is also present) are both heartrendering and conveyes the impression of entering an mini-opera without words.
The D minor concerto (RV566)for 2 violins, 2 recorders, 2 oboes and bassoon is also breathtaking. It is probably also written for the Saxon court as many of the other concertos on the first volume.
The other concertos are also so full of masterly music that it is difficult to single out the peaks.
Special mention should perhaps be taken of the concerto for viola d'amore and lute in D minor (RV540) with Fabio Biondi and Giangiacomo Pinardi. This is a concerto that makes extreme demands on articulation (in Harnoncourt's sense of the word) and the absense of the heavy basso continuo in all but a few ritornelli makes this true chamber music. The concerto brims full of melancholy and despair. Biondi and Pinardi shades and lightens the music with keen and expressive outburst. In the wrong hands I suspect that this concerto could be a little too pedestrian, but in the hands of a true master it is revealed to be perhaps the best concerto Vivaldi ever wrote (listening to it while I'm writing this this seems to be an understatement - it is really beyond words...).
Strong compeditors in RV 540 are Jacob Lundberg and the Drottningholm Orchestra on BIS. But Biondi and Pinardi are superior in every way. Not least the flexible tempi of Biondi & Co. are a constant drive to the build up and release of tensions and surprising harmonic turns in this concerto.
The last work on the CD is a concerto for 4 violins, strings and bc. This rare combination was the showcase for many composers and violinist in Italy and called forth a lot of extreemely viroutousic music, Vivaldi was no exception! (If you are interested in more concertos of this kind you should try out Goebel & Musica Antiqua Köln's fantastic CD with concertos for 4 violins on ARCHIV 445 612-2, "Italian violin concertos", recorded in 1992).
Vivi felice!
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Some of Vivaldi's most colourful and adventurous concerti feature 'molti stromenti', of the kind that featured in the orphanage where he taught and composed - the Pietà. Here he found not just the incredible range of instruments to inspire him but the talented female players who brought such works to life. This recording brings together Vivaldi's peak of inventiveness and Biondi's acclaimed creativity. The result is invigorating.
Biondi is, of course, a virtuoso violinist and viola d'amore player and this CD features his exceptional playing on both instruments - notably the opening work, the Concerto in D RV562, and the Concerto in d for viola d'amore and lute RV540. Biondi is as sprightly and idiomatic as ever. Prestissimo passages are clearly articulated; final cadences are provocatively clipped; bowing effects sometimes substitute for vibrato (in RV569ii) while the exotic east is suggested with just the hint of a slide (in RV562). Although Biondi is occasionally disparaged for taking excessive liberties, it would be churlish to criticise him here. Each member of Europa Galante plays with equal verve and commitment, meanwhile, and the recording is detailed and spacious.
Europa Galante, while not exactly a conventional ensemble, don't take too many liberties to make their interpretation irritatingly unorthodox, either. Biondi permits just so much creative licence. Occasionally, the sounds are startlingly modern - some bars of the final Allegro of RV569 might have come from Michael Nyman, for example - but this modernity is latent in the music as written. Biondi merely helps draw attention to this engaging facet of Vivaldi.
This is very much a 'many instrument' Vivaldi for our times. Both playing and recording are exemplary. Highly recommended.
Biondi is, of course, a virtuoso violinist and viola d'amore player and this CD features his exceptional playing on both instruments - notably the opening work, the Concerto in D RV562, and the Concerto in d for viola d'amore and lute RV540. Biondi is as sprightly and idiomatic as ever. Prestissimo passages are clearly articulated; final cadences are provocatively clipped; bowing effects sometimes substitute for vibrato (in RV569ii) while the exotic east is suggested with just the hint of a slide (in RV562). Although Biondi is occasionally disparaged for taking excessive liberties, it would be churlish to criticise him here. Each member of Europa Galante plays with equal verve and commitment, meanwhile, and the recording is detailed and spacious.
Europa Galante, while not exactly a conventional ensemble, don't take too many liberties to make their interpretation irritatingly unorthodox, either. Biondi permits just so much creative licence. Occasionally, the sounds are startlingly modern - some bars of the final Allegro of RV569 might have come from Michael Nyman, for example - but this modernity is latent in the music as written. Biondi merely helps draw attention to this engaging facet of Vivaldi.
This is very much a 'many instrument' Vivaldi for our times. Both playing and recording are exemplary. Highly recommended.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
6 reviews
19 of 20 people found the following review helpful
Super Ka-Pow Fun Time Happy Maximum Diversion
7 Dec 2005
Format:Audio CD
RV 569 has been a favorite ever since I received an ASMF recording of it as a child. Biondi and company give it an exhilarating performance, one that will take your breath away. They still manage to sound very sweet, even when they have you on the edge of your seat. The quality of the recording is excellent, although I rather enjoyed the more "spacious" recorded sound of The King's Consort performing the same repertoire on Hyperion with almost identical forces. Both recordings possess a distinctly different ambience. One listen to RV 566 should persuade any music lover of this new release's merits. Europa Galante's woodwinds are delightfully sonorous and the continuo is prominently plucky and varied nicely in a dramatic fashion. Although it might seem uncharacteristic of Biondi's reputation as a maniac, he often utilizes understatement and simplicity to enhance the music's rhythmic vitality and it works especially well here. This release is obviously a must have for anyone who buys these sorts of recordings, but it's also very accessible music that would make an ideal gift for a child or perhaps someone just getting into music. This release is not beyond criticism, however lovely it may be. There are a few brief spots where the solo playing isn't "technically" perfect, but it doesn't necessarily detract from the enjoyment of the performances.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Amazing
15 July 2006
Format:Audio CD
Europa Galante is amazing they have elevated my spirits to new high. All you need to do is listen to the first track and you will be sold. I am now looking at other CD by Europa Galante and will have to visit one of their concerts one day. I don't know too much about Classical music but the greats and the stuff most people listen to. Well, they played the greats (Vivaldi) but it sounds so much greater and much more fun. If you want a burst of energy this is the CD.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Another triumph!,
2 Dec 2008
Format:Audio CD
The first volume of Concerti per molti strumenti (called Concerti per mandolinio) was a real knock-out. This second volume will prove that there is a lot more Vivaldi to discover.
The first concerto of this CD is a Concerto a 10 V in D. The recorded sound is excellent and the majestical slow opening with horns and timpani will get the hairs on your arms to stand stright up!
The slow movements (an alternate second movement with solo organ is also present) are both heartrendering and conveyes the impression of entering an mini-opera without words.
The D minor concerto (RV566)for 2 violins, 2 recorders, 2 oboes and bassoon is also breathtaking. It is probably also written for the Saxon court as many of the other concertos on the first volume.
The other concertos are also so full of masterly music that it is difficult to single out the peaks.
Special mention should perhaps be taken of the concerto for viola d'amore and lute in D minor (RV540) with Fabio Biondi and Giangiacomo Pinardi. This is a concerto that makes extreme demands on articulation (in Harnoncourt's sense of the word) and the absense of the heavy basso continuo in all but a few ritornelli makes this true chamber music. The concerto brims full of melancholy and despair. Biondi and Pinardi shades and lightens the music with keen and expressive outburst. In the wrong hands I suspect that this concerto could be a little too pedestrian, but in the hands of a true master it is revealed to be perhaps the best concerto Vivaldi ever wrote (listening to it while I'm writing this this seems to be an understatement - it is really beyond words...).
Strong compeditors in RV 540 are Jacob Lundberg and the Drottningholm Orchestra on BIS. But Biondi and Pinardi are superior in every way. Not least the flexible tempi of Biondi & Co. are a constant drive to the build up and release of tensions and surprising harmonic turns in this concerto.
The last work on the CD is a concerto for 4 violins, strings and bc. This rare combination was the showcase for many composers and violinist in Italy and called forth a lot of extreemely viroutousic music, Vivaldi was no exception! (If you are interested in more concertos of this kind you should try out Goebel & Musica Antiqua Köln's fantastic CD with concertos for 4 violins on ARCHIV 445 612-2, "Italian violin concertos", recorded in 1992).
Vivi felice!
The first concerto of this CD is a Concerto a 10 V in D. The recorded sound is excellent and the majestical slow opening with horns and timpani will get the hairs on your arms to stand stright up!
The slow movements (an alternate second movement with solo organ is also present) are both heartrendering and conveyes the impression of entering an mini-opera without words.
The D minor concerto (RV566)for 2 violins, 2 recorders, 2 oboes and bassoon is also breathtaking. It is probably also written for the Saxon court as many of the other concertos on the first volume.
The other concertos are also so full of masterly music that it is difficult to single out the peaks.
Special mention should perhaps be taken of the concerto for viola d'amore and lute in D minor (RV540) with Fabio Biondi and Giangiacomo Pinardi. This is a concerto that makes extreme demands on articulation (in Harnoncourt's sense of the word) and the absense of the heavy basso continuo in all but a few ritornelli makes this true chamber music. The concerto brims full of melancholy and despair. Biondi and Pinardi shades and lightens the music with keen and expressive outburst. In the wrong hands I suspect that this concerto could be a little too pedestrian, but in the hands of a true master it is revealed to be perhaps the best concerto Vivaldi ever wrote (listening to it while I'm writing this this seems to be an understatement - it is really beyond words...).
Strong compeditors in RV 540 are Jacob Lundberg and the Drottningholm Orchestra on BIS. But Biondi and Pinardi are superior in every way. Not least the flexible tempi of Biondi & Co. are a constant drive to the build up and release of tensions and surprising harmonic turns in this concerto.
The last work on the CD is a concerto for 4 violins, strings and bc. This rare combination was the showcase for many composers and violinist in Italy and called forth a lot of extreemely viroutousic music, Vivaldi was no exception! (If you are interested in more concertos of this kind you should try out Goebel & Musica Antiqua Köln's fantastic CD with concertos for 4 violins on ARCHIV 445 612-2, "Italian violin concertos", recorded in 1992).
Vivi felice!
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