| biography |
| Nicknamed
"the Red Priest," Vivaldi (1678-1741) was once dismissed as having
written the same concerto 400 times. But a new wave of Italian early-music
ensembles has emphasized the vivid imagination and invention that
so impressed J.S. Bach and that continue to make Vivaldi one of
the most beloved composers of the baroque today. |
| recommended
recordings |
|
Vivaldi:
The Four Seasons / Fabio Biondi, L'Europa Galante
|
Composer:
Antonio
Vivaldi
Conductor: Fabio
Biondi
Performer: Fabio
Biondi
Ensemble: L'Europa
Galante
Opus 111 (Fra) - #569120 / January 9, 1995
Click
here for more information |
|
This recording of The Four Seasons sold something like
50 billion copies in France. Now I know that's not necessarily
a recommendation. After all, this is the country that thinks
that Jerry Lewis is America's greatest film star. But in this
case, they have a point, because this is a sensational recording
of the fabulous "four." The secret of making a great new recording
of music that you've heard until it drives you crazy lies
in the performers' ability to make the music sound fresh.
That's...Read
more
|
|
|
Vivaldi:
Gloria, Magnificat, Concertos / Alessandrini, et al
|
Composer:
Antonio
Vivaldi
Conductor: Rinaldo
Alessandrini
Performer: Patrizia
Biccire, Sara
Mingardo, et al.
Ensemble: Akademia
Vocal Ensemble, Concerto
Italiano
Opus 111 (Fra) - #30195 / April 14, 1998
Click
here for more information |
|
Don't let the startling double-time opening of this Gloria
put you off--listen with an open mind and you'll be surprised
how much sense it makes. Rinaldo Alessandrini's reading has
many such surprises; some movements are taken very quickly,
others surprisingly slowly, yet his choices seem fresh rather
than perverse. The Magnificat is lesser-known and thus
less surprising, but it's every bit as lively. The soloists
all sing nicely (though Biccire doesn't blend well in the
soprano duet); the...Read
more
|
|
|
Sacred
Music Vol 4 - Vivaldi: Juditha Triumphans / King
|
|
Composer:
Antonio
Vivaldi
Conductor: Robert
King
Performer: Susan
Bickley, Sarah
Connolly, et al.
Ensemble: King's
Consort Choir, King's
Consort
Hyperion (UK) - #67281 / May 12, 1998
Click
here for more information
|
|
Vivaldi is best known for his instrumental music--concertos
and concerti grossi--but perhaps his most-performed work,
the Gloria, is for chorus and vocal soloists. This rarely
recorded oratorio, "Juditha Triumphans," combines
all of Vivaldi's favorite compositional mediums--solo instrumental,
orchestral, solo vocal, and choral--in a work of impressive
scope brimming with wonderful melodies and irresistible rhythms.
Telling the story of the Jewish heroine Judith, who single-handedly...Read
more
|
|
|
| works
& recordings |
|
- Chamber Music
Trios, Quartets, Quintets
- Choral
Secular and sacred choral music. Oratorios, Masses, Partsongs,
Hymns, Carols
- Instrumental
Sonatas, Suites, Overtures, Minuets, Variations, Transcriptions,
Dance Music
- Orchestra
Concertos, Symphonies
- Theatrical Works
Ballet, Stage, Incidental Music, Film Scores
- Vocal and Opera
Opera, Operetta, Song, Lieder, Musical Theater
Complete
List of Works and Recordings
|
| resources |
|
|
Search
for "Vivaldi, Antonio" on
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
