Choosing Vivaldi recordings is like buying cheese: you do it by the pound. This mid-size (7 CD) box contains 55 concertos, including The Four Seasons (but not the rest of Op. 8), L’estro armonico, La stravaganza, the Six Flute Concertos of Op. 10, and a selection of well-chosen, miscellaneous works. The biggest treat, for me at least, is the Concerto RV558 “con molti stromenti,” for an ensemble consisting of two recorders, two chalumeaux, two violins “in tromba marina” (whatever that means), two mandolins, two theorbos, cello, strings and continuo. It’s delightfully wacky. Alfredo Casella arranged it for modern orchestra and Leonard Bernstein made an excellent recording of it for Sony.
The performances here also are generallyRead more excellent: lively, enthusiastic, very well played, and very “historically informed.” Pinnock doesn’t attack the music in the way of Fabio Biondi or Il giardino armonico, nor do the period strings have the timbral sweetness of modern chamber orchestras such as I musici (whose vibrato happens to be perfectly authentic), but there’s no questioning the general musicality and sensitivity of the approach. After all, Vivaldi’s music is not exactly oozing passion, and the fine solo playing from the likes of Simon Standage (violin), Nigel North (lute), and Lisa Beznosiuk (flute) ensures that the music never sounds “cookie-cutter.” If the size of the package suits, then by all means, get this set.
Concerto for Violin in G minor, Op. 8 no 2/RV 315 "L'estate"by Antonio Vivaldi Performer:
Trevor Pinnock (Harpsichord),
Simon Standage (Violin)
Conductor:
Trevor Pinnock
Orchestra/Ensemble:
English Concert
Period: Baroque Written: 1725; Venice, Italy
3.
Concerto for Violin in F major, Op. 8 no 3/RV 293 "L'autunno"by Antonio Vivaldi Performer:
Trevor Pinnock (Harpsichord),
Simon Standage (Violin)
Conductor:
Trevor Pinnock
Orchestra/Ensemble:
English Concert
Period: Baroque Written: 1725; Venice, Italy
4.
Concerto for Violin in F minor, Op. 8 no 4/RV 297 "L'inverno"by Antonio Vivaldi Performer:
Simon Standage (Violin),
Trevor Pinnock (Harpsichord)
Conductor:
Trevor Pinnock
Orchestra/Ensemble:
English Concert
Period: Baroque Written: 1725; Venice, Italy
5.
Concertos (4) for Violin, Op. 8 no 1-4 "Four seasons"by Antonio Vivaldi Performer:
Simon Standage (Violin)
Conductor:
Trevor Pinnock
Orchestra/Ensemble:
English Concert
Period: Baroque Written: 1725; Venice, Italy
Concerto for Flute in G major, Op. 10 no 4/RV 435by Antonio Vivaldi Performer:
Lisa Beznosiuk (Flute)
Conductor:
Trevor Pinnock
Orchestra/Ensemble:
English Concert
Period: Baroque Written: circa 1728; Venice, Italy
11.
Concerto for Flute in F major, Op. 10 no 5/RV 434by Antonio Vivaldi Performer:
Lisa Beznosiuk (Flute)
Conductor:
Trevor Pinnock
Orchestra/Ensemble:
English Concert
Period: Baroque Written: circa 1728; Venice, Italy
12.
Concerto for Flute in G major, Op. 10 no 6/RV 437by Antonio Vivaldi Performer:
Lisa Beznosiuk (Flute)
Conductor:
Trevor Pinnock
Orchestra/Ensemble:
English Concert
Period: Baroque Written: circa 1728; Venice, Italy
13.
Concerto for Violin in B flat major, Op. 4 no 1/RV 383aby Antonio Vivaldi Performer:
Simon Standage (Violin)
Conductor:
Trevor Pinnock
Orchestra/Ensemble:
English Concert
Period: Baroque Written: circa 1714; Venice, Italy Date of Recording: 11/1989 Venue: EMI Abbey Road Studios, London Length: 7 Minutes 46 Secs.
14.
Concerto for Violin in E minor, Op. 4 no 2/RV 279by Antonio Vivaldi Performer:
Simon Standage (Violin)
Conductor:
Trevor Pinnock
Orchestra/Ensemble:
English Concert
Period: Baroque Written: circa 1714; Venice, Italy Date of Recording: 11/1989 Venue: EMI Abbey Road Studios, London Length: 10 Minutes 21 Secs.
15.
Concerto for Violin in G major, Op. 4 no 3/RV 301by Antonio Vivaldi Performer:
Simon Standage (Violin)
Conductor:
Trevor Pinnock
Orchestra/Ensemble:
English Concert
Period: Baroque Written: circa 1714; Venice, Italy Date of Recording: 02/1990 Venue: EMI Abbey Road Studios, London Length: 7 Minutes 28 Secs.
16.
Concerto for Violin in A minor, Op. 4 no 4/RV 357by Antonio Vivaldi Performer:
Simon Standage (Violin)
Conductor:
Trevor Pinnock
Orchestra/Ensemble:
English Concert
Period: Baroque Written: circa 1714; Venice, Italy Date of Recording: 11/1989 Venue: EMI Abbey Road Studios, London Length: 7 Minutes 26 Secs.
17.
Concerto for Violin in A major, RV 347by Antonio Vivaldi Performer:
Simon Standage (Violin)
Conductor:
Trevor Pinnock
Orchestra/Ensemble:
English Concert
Period: Baroque Written: Italy Date of Recording: 11/1989 Venue: EMI Abbey Road Studios, London Length: 8 Minutes 47 Secs.
18.
Concerto for Violin in G minor, Op. 4 no 6/RV 316aby Antonio Vivaldi Performer:
Simon Standage (Violin)
Conductor:
Trevor Pinnock
Orchestra/Ensemble:
English Concert
Period: Baroque Written: circa 1714; Venice, Italy Date of Recording: 11/1989 Venue: EMI Abbey Road Studios, London Length: 7 Minutes 50 Secs.
19.
Concerto for Violin in C major, Op. 4 no 7/RV 185by Antonio Vivaldi Performer:
Simon Standage (Violin)
Conductor:
Trevor Pinnock
Orchestra/Ensemble:
English Concert
Period: Baroque Written: circa 1714; Venice, Italy Date of Recording: 02/1990 Venue: EMI Abbey Road Studios, London Length: 8 Minutes 6 Secs.
20.
Concerto for Violin in D minor, Op. 4 no 8/RV 249by Antonio Vivaldi Performer:
Simon Standage (Violin)
Conductor:
Trevor Pinnock
Orchestra/Ensemble:
English Concert
Period: Baroque Written: circa 1714; Venice, Italy Date of Recording: 02/1990 Venue: EMI Abbey Road Studios, London Length: 7 Minutes 10 Secs.
21.
Concerto for Violin in F major, Op. 4 no 9/RV 284by Antonio Vivaldi Performer:
Simon Standage (Violin)
Conductor:
Trevor Pinnock
Orchestra/Ensemble:
English Concert
Period: Baroque Written: circa 1714; Venice, Italy Date of Recording: 02/1990 Venue: EMI Abbey Road Studios, London Length: 6 Minutes 52 Secs.
22.
Concerto for Violin in C minor, Op. 4 no 10/RV 196by Antonio Vivaldi Performer:
Simon Standage (Violin)
Conductor:
Trevor Pinnock
Orchestra/Ensemble:
English Concert
Period: Baroque Written: circa 1714; Venice, Italy Date of Recording: 02/1990 Venue: EMI Abbey Road Studios, London Length: 7 Minutes 44 Secs.
23.
Concerto for Violin in D major, Op. 4 no 11/RV 204by Antonio Vivaldi Performer:
Simon Standage (Violin)
Conductor:
Trevor Pinnock
Orchestra/Ensemble:
English Concert
Period: Baroque Written: circa 1714; Venice, Italy Date of Recording: 02/1990 Venue: EMI Abbey Road Studios, London Length: 6 Minutes 31 Secs.
24.
Concerto for Violin in G major, Op. 4 no 12/RV 298by Antonio Vivaldi Performer:
Simon Standage (Violin)
Conductor:
Trevor Pinnock
Orchestra/Ensemble:
English Concert
Period: Baroque Written: circa 1714; Venice, Italy Date of Recording: 11/1989 Venue: EMI Abbey Road Studios, London Length: 9 Minutes 46 Secs.
Concerto for Oboe and Violin in B flat major, RV 548by Antonio Vivaldi Performer:
Simon Standage (Violin),
David Reichenberg (Oboe)
Conductor:
Trevor Pinnock
Orchestra/Ensemble:
English Concert
Period: Baroque Written: Venice, Italy
27.
Concerto for 2 Violins in G major, RV 516by Antonio Vivaldi Performer:
Elizabeth Wilcock (Violin),
Simon Standage (Violin)
Conductor:
Trevor Pinnock
Orchestra/Ensemble:
English Concert
Period: Baroque Written: Venice, Italy
28.
Concerto for 2 Mandolins in G major, RV 532by Antonio Vivaldi Performer:
Robin Jeffrey (Mandolin),
James Tyler (Mandolin)
Conductor:
Trevor Pinnock
Orchestra/Ensemble:
English Concert
Period: Baroque Written: Venice, Italy
29.
Concerto in C major, RV 558by Antonio Vivaldi Performer:
Simon Standage (Violin),
Elizabeth Wilcock (Violin)
Conductor:
Trevor Pinnock
Orchestra/Ensemble:
English Concert
Period: Baroque Written: Venice, Italy
30.
Concerto for Oboe in A minor, RV 461by Antonio Vivaldi Performer:
David Reichenberg (Oboe)
Conductor:
Trevor Pinnock
Orchestra/Ensemble:
English Concert
Period: Baroque Written: Venice, Italy
31.
Concerto for Strings in A major, RV 159by Antonio Vivaldi Conductor:
Trevor Pinnock
Orchestra/Ensemble:
English Concert
Period: Baroque Written: Venice, Italy Date of Recording: 05/1986 Venue: St John's Church, Smith Square, London Length: 5 Minutes 0 Secs.
32.
Concerto for Violin in E major, RV 271 "L'amoroso"by Antonio Vivaldi Performer:
Simon Standage (Violin)
Conductor:
Trevor Pinnock
Orchestra/Ensemble:
English Concert
Period: Baroque Written: Venice, Italy Date of Recording: 05/1986 Venue: St John's Church, Smith Square, London Length: 9 Minutes 0 Secs.
33.
Concerto for Bassoon in E minor, RV 484by Antonio Vivaldi Performer:
Milan Turkovic (Bassoon)
Conductor:
Trevor Pinnock
Orchestra/Ensemble:
English Concert
Period: Baroque Written: Venice, Italy Date of Recording: 05/1986 Venue: St John's Church, Smith Square, London Length: 12 Minutes 0 Secs.
34.
Concerto for Viola d'Amore and Lute in D minor, RV 540by Antonio Vivaldi Performer:
Nigel North (Lute),
Roy Goodman (Viola d'amore)
Conductor:
Trevor Pinnock
Orchestra/Ensemble:
English Concert
Period: Baroque Written: Venice, Italy Date of Recording: 05/1986 Venue: St John's Church, Smith Square, London Length: 11 Minutes 0 Secs.
35.
Concerto for Oboe and Bassoon in G major, RV 545by Antonio Vivaldi Performer:
Milan Turkovic (Bassoon),
David Reichenberg (Oboe)
Conductor:
Trevor Pinnock
Orchestra/Ensemble:
English Concert
Period: Baroque Written: Venice, Italy Date of Recording: 05/1986 Venue: St John's Church, Smith Square, London Length: 10 Minutes 0 Secs.
36.
Concerto for Flute in G major, RV 436by Antonio Vivaldi Performer:
Lisa Beznosiuk (Flute)
Conductor:
Trevor Pinnock
Orchestra/Ensemble:
English Concert
Period: Baroque Written: Venice, Italy Date of Recording: 05/1986 Venue: St John's Church, Smith Square, London Length: 9 Minutes 0 Secs.
37.
Concerto for Strings in G minor, RV 156by Antonio Vivaldi Conductor:
Trevor Pinnock
Orchestra/Ensemble:
English Concert
Period: Baroque Written: Venice, Italy Date of Recording: 11/1993 Venue: Henry Wood Hall, London Length: 5 Minutes 46 Secs.
38.
Concerto for Oboe in C major, Op. 8 no 12/RV 449by Antonio Vivaldi Performer:
Paul Goodwin (Oboe)
Conductor:
Trevor Pinnock
Orchestra/Ensemble:
English Concert
Period: Baroque Written: 1725; Venice, Italy Date of Recording: 11/1993 Venue: Henry Wood Hall, London Length: 9 Minutes 7 Secs.
39.
Concerto for Bassoon in F major, RV 485by Antonio Vivaldi Performer:
Alberto Grazzi (Bassoon)
Conductor:
Trevor Pinnock
Orchestra/Ensemble:
English Concert
Period: Baroque Written: Venice, Italy Date of Recording: 11/1993 Venue: Henry Wood Hall, London Length: 9 Minutes 42 Secs.
40.
Concerto for Strings in B flat major, RV 166by Antonio Vivaldi Conductor:
Trevor Pinnock
Orchestra/Ensemble:
English Concert
Period: Baroque Written: Venice, Italy Date of Recording: 11/1993 Venue: Henry Wood Hall, London Length: 4 Minutes 59 Secs.
41.
Concerto for Violin, 2 Oboes, 2 Recorders and Bassoon in G minor, RV 577by Antonio Vivaldi Performer:
Catherine Latham (Recorder),
Peter Hanson (Violin),
Lorraine Wood (Oboe),
Alberto Grazzi (Bassoon),
Peter Holtslag (Recorder),
Paul Goodwin (Oboe)
Conductor:
Trevor Pinnock
Orchestra/Ensemble:
English Concert
Period: Baroque Written: Venice, Italy Date of Recording: 11/1993 Venue: Henry Wood Hall, London Length: 9 Minutes 23 Secs.
42.
Concerto for Piccolo in C major, RV 444by Antonio Vivaldi Performer:
Peter Holtslag (Recorder)
Conductor:
Trevor Pinnock
Orchestra/Ensemble:
English Concert
Period: Baroque Written: Venice, Italy Date of Recording: 11/1993 Venue: Henry Wood Hall, London Length: 10 Minutes 5 Secs.
43.
Concerto for 2 Violins and 2 Cellos in G major, RV 575by Antonio Vivaldi Performer:
David Watkin (Cello),
Walter Reiter (Violin),
Peter Hanson (Violin),
Jane Coe (Cello)
Conductor:
Trevor Pinnock
Orchestra/Ensemble:
English Concert
Period: Baroque Written: Venice, Italy Date of Recording: 11/1993 Venue: Henry Wood Hall, London Length: 9 Minutes 48 Secs.
44.
L'estro armonico, Op. 3by Antonio Vivaldi Performer:
Simon Standage (Violin),
Micaela Comberti (Violin),
Jaap ter Linden (Cello),
Miles Golding (Violin),
Elizabeth Wilcock (Violin)
Conductor:
Trevor Pinnock
Orchestra/Ensemble:
English Concert
Period: Baroque Written: 1711; Venice, Italy
Customer Reviews
Average Customer Review: ( 3 Customer Reviews )
grat collectionAugust 29, 2019By Earl L. (Bloomington, IN)See All My Reviews"A wonderful collection of Vivaldi concertos with good performances. A real bargain for Vivaldi lovers."Report Abuse
Excellent MusicianshipDecember 15, 2012By M. Bishop (Clackamas, OR)See All My Reviews"The English Concert are first-rate performers when it comes to interpreting baroque music, so the stellar performances as demonstrated here were no surprise to me. What comes through over and over again is sustained excellence in musical performances, especially when it comes to solo demonstrations. This album is replete with solo artistry, coupled with The English Concert performing at their best. I highly recommend this album to anyone desiring to hear Vivaldi presented in the best possible light."Report Abuse
BEAUTIFUL COLLECTIONJuly 12, 2012By Arthur Papas (Weston, MA)See All My Reviews"This is a Vivaldi Festival of rich performances of his music. The selections are varied and represent a broad spectrum of his work from string pieces to Oboe and Bassoon Concerti. It's a Vivaldi "romp," and the price was right. It's a great deal of Vivaldi by world class musicians and performers, for a markedly discounted price. It works beautifully as a collection."Report Abuse