Vivaldi: Concerto for mandolins & strings in G; Concerto for strings in G

On this CD:

1. Concerto alla rustica, for strings & continuo in G major, RV 151
Composed by Antonio Vivaldi
Performed by English Concert with Trevor Pinnock

2. Double Concerto, for violin & oboe, strings & continuo in B-flat major, RV 548
Composed by Antonio Vivaldi
Performed by English Concert with Trevor Pinnock, David Reichenberg, Simon Standage

3. Concerto in tromba marina, for 2 violins, 2 recorders, 2 mandolins, 2 chalumeaux, 2 theorbos, cello, strings & continuo in C, RV 558
Composed by Antonio Vivaldi
Performed by English Concert with Rachel Beckett, Micaela Comberti, Robin Jeffrey, Colin Lawson, Jakob Lindberg, Nigel North, Philip Pickett, Trevor Pinnock

4. Double Violin Concerto, for 2 violins, strings & continuo in G Major, RV 516
Composed by Antonio Vivaldi
Performed by English Concert with Trevor Pinnock, Simon Standage
Conducted by Elizabeth Wilcock

5. Oboe Concerto, for oboe, strings & continuo in A minor, RV 461
Composed by Antonio Vivaldi
Performed by English Concert with Trevor Pinnock, David Reichenberg

6. Double Mandolin Concerto, for 2 mandolins, strings & continuo in G major, RV 532
Composed by Antonio Vivaldi
Performed by English Concert with Robin Jeffrey, Trevor Pinnock, James Tyler

Tracks:

Air 'On the G String' - Academy Of St. Martin In The Fields
Morning - Academy Of St. Martin In The Fields
Canon In D - Academy Of St. Martin In The Fields
Jesu, Joy Of Man's Desiring - Academy Of St. Martin In The Fields
Gymnopedie No.1 - City Of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra
II. Andante - Stephen Hough
Viens, Mallika - Mady Mesple
In Paradisum - Choir Of King's College, Cambridge
Clair De Lune - Dame Moura Lympany
II. Andate - Yehudi Menuhin
The Swan - Osian Ellis
II. Lento E Largo - Tranquillissimo - Zofia Kilanowicz
II. Andantino - James Galway
II. Largo - Yehudi Menuhin
Nimrod - London Symphony Orchestra
Blow the Wind - Pie Jesu - Jocelyn Pook
Variation 18 - Cecile Ousset
Pavane Op.50 - Gareth Morris

Tracks:

Zion Hort Die Wachter Singen - South German Madrigal Choir
Adagio In G Minor - Academy Of St. Martin In The Fields
Minuet - Academy Of St. Martin In The Fields
II. Largo - Andrei Gavrilov
Meditation - Hans Kalafusz
I. Adagio Sostenuto - Dame Moura Lympany
Belle Nuit, O Nuit D'amour (Barcarolle) - Elisabeth Schwarzkopf
II. Andante - Nigel North
II. Adagio - Jack Brymer
Intermezzo - Philharmonia Orchestra
I. Moderato - London Chamber Orchestra
O Mio Babbino Caro - Montserrat Caballe
Fantasia On 'Greensleeves' - Sinfonia Of London
II. Adagio Sostenuto (Opening) - Cecile Ousset
Nocturne - Academy Of St. Martin In The Fields
II. Adagio (Opening) - Julian Bream
Adagio For Strings Op.11a - The Philadelphia Orchestra
Entr'acte To Act III - Orchestre National De France

Amazon.com

You want relaxing classical music that'll soothe your soul but won't lull you into sleep? Here's a double CD for you. The Most Relaxing Classical Album in the World ... Ever! does its best to cover both well-worn classical favorites (Bach's "Air on the G String," Pachelbel's "Cannon," Debussy's "Clair de Lune") and some eclectic left-field choices (an excerpt from Górecki's Symphony No. 3, Jocelyn Pook's "Blow the Wind," and Samuel Barber's Adagio for Strings. The performances of most of these excerpts are top-notch--artists include Sir Neville Marriner, James Galway, Jacqueline du Pré and the Philadelphia Orchestra--and there's enough variety here for everyone. --Edward Garabedian

Customer Reviews:

Lives Up To The Title, Fine Variety Of Genre's........2007-02-04

This CD is a great way to enjoy a large variety of Classical Composers & many of their best known pieces. Vivaldi's "Four Seasons," is an all time favorite. There are vocals, Piano pieces, & some fine Violins. I found the latter the most enjoyable. Here you can find Rodrigo & Pachelbell. Samuel Barber's haunting Adagio will make your skin tingle. This may not be to everyones taste, but if you wish to relax? Give this a couple of listens.

Good for relaxing pregnant women.......2007-01-17

I stumbled onto this album whilst searching bit torrent websites for classical music. I don't normally listen to classical music but thought it might be relaxing for my pregnant wife. After hearing the quality of the performances, the arrangement, and the recording I decided to buy the album from amazon. All the songs you would expect from a "best album in the world" are there and they are not boring to listen to like a lot of other classical albums. I now play this album in the car constantly and the wife requested it be played at the hospital during the birth.

Too much opera.......2007-01-10

If it wasn't for the opera this would be a great CD.

Does what it set out to do, very well.......2006-11-15

So i'm a classical music veteran, someone who prefers to collect a complete work, rather than classical compilations. I probably would not have listened to this album at all if my dad didnt buy it for me as a gift. By now, i own the complete works that over half of the excepts on this disc come from. I am a purist if ever there was one.

That said, i totally adore this set because i have learned to take it on its own terms. These discs weren't meant for expert classical listeners, so a review from that sort of mindset is useless. This set was meant for pure, easy listening, and for a basic starters kit for classical newbies. Most of all, it was just meant to do what the title says, to relax the average human being. classical expert or not.

Yes, some of these pieces have been altered or shortened, like Mozart's Flute and Harp Concerto Andantino, but they have been edited for a good enough reason: the full versions would have been too long to flow with the rest of the album. And also, the full versions contain so much development that they don't become easy listening anymore. The shortened versions work in the context of the album. Most essentially, the shortened versions on the discs still convey the main flavor the composers were going for. The melodies and themes remain unchanged.

To sum up, it is true that when i want to actually listen deeply to classical music, this album would never be a choice. I would want to hear the complete works like the composers intended. But at certain times when i simply don't mind about that stuff, when i just need to loosen up and free my mind of stress with some nice melodies, this set does the job well enough.

Last but not least: being a purist and a classical buff, i am very particular about performance quality. I was very glad to find that EMI did not get lazy about this. All the artists are world-class, and all the performances are at least exceptional. Some performances are even quite excellent, like the Clair De Lune, which is one of the best i've heard. (Credit to Dame Lympany, the pianist.)

So once again, recommended for its stated purpose, to relax. I am a purist, a classical buff, and i still enjoy this disc. That says something.

TRULY The most relaxing and beautiful music ever written........2006-11-10

This album along with Volume 2 are now the two most valued albums in my music collection. I have all of the songs contained on these two albums but they are scattered through at least a dozen different albums and several are not performed by artists such as those that recorded this album and Volume 2.
SIMPLY BEAUTIFUL !!!!!!!!!!

Average customer rating:

Yo-Yo Ma and Bobby McFerrin
Yo-Yo keeps on experimental
This is no "Don't Worry, Be Happy"
Excellent CD!
My 1st introduction to Bobby McFerrin (3.5-4 stars)

Hush

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Play

ASIN: B0000027VR
Release Date: 1992-01-28

Tracks:

Grace
Concerto In D Minor For 2 Mandolins: Andante
The Legend Of Tsar Saltan: Flight Of The Bumblebee
Stars
Hush Little Baby
Vocalise
Notebook For Anna Magdalena Bach: Musette
Coyote
Sonata For 2 Cellos: Allegro prestissimo
Ave Maria
Hoedown!
Orchestral Suite No. 3: Air
Good-Bye

Amazon.com

The idea here was to put two masters together--one classical cellist, one improvisational singer/sound-effects performer--and voilà! instant amazing, unique, hip--and, hopefully, hit--record. The intriguing setup was to see what would happen when each led the other through the unfamiliar territory of his own specialty. The success of this recording lies not so much in the music or even in the overall performances, but in the fascinating and fun opportunity to sit in on the musicians' good-natured, respectful give-and-take, to witness an uncommon form of artistic chemistry that allows each performer to expand his vision and even his technique. On one hand we get Bobby McFerrin's impressionistic, improvisatory jazz/pop; on the other we enjoy Yo-Yo Ma's highly refined, formalized musicianship. Originally planned as a disc for children, Hush goes far beyond its initial premise, with each of the 13 tracks demonstrating these musicians' unique gifts and showing that, whether it's Vivaldi or jazz, it's all music and it's all a lot of fun. --David Vernier

Customer Reviews:

Yo-Yo Ma and Bobby McFerrin.......2007-05-12

This CD is one of my favorites. I give it away and buy another. Playful and fun as well as great music. It never fails to make me laugh. A joy. If you aren't a little silly, don't bother. Kids love it, too.

Yo-Yo keeps on experimental.......2006-03-04

One of the best parts of a genius is to try out of his layers. In this case Yo-Yo tried to go out from the classic, and with a very good singer, in a easy say, as Bobby. They make a very special music between classic and jazz, with some elements of pop.
It's an incredible fusion of strings and vocal strings, in some moments it is not possible to separate them, some times is like a big keyboard directed by a single musician. In a word, they experiment, and the result was incredible.

This is no "Don't Worry, Be Happy".......2005-10-23

Have never been a big Bobby McFerrin fan, probably due to that god-awful, "Don't Worry, Be Happy." But I am a classical music junkie and one day listening to our local classical station I heard a selection that I thought was the most beautiful thing I had ever heard. What a shock when I learned that it was McFerrin and Yo-Yo Ma doing Vivaldi's Andante!

Honestly, I could do without the non-classical pieces on this CD...although I enjoy them.

But the classical interpretations are some of the most heavenly, wonderful, beautiful, awe-inspiring things that I have ever heard, on any CD, in any genre! Yes, that good!

McFerrin uses his voice as the perfect instrument and accompanient to Ma's cello. They were made for each other.

Listen to the samples of the classical pieces if you're a doubter...

Excellent CD!.......2005-09-22

While I admit to being a newbie in my connoisseurship of the classical music genre, not only do I think that this disc is a good collection of some of the best classical music ever written, it is actually FUN sometimes, with silly bits thrown in by Bobby and Yo-Yo Ma every now and then! These guys make great music and have a great time making it.

Bobby uses his voice as a fantastic sounding 'instrument' to sing notes much like an instrument playing a duet with Yo-Yo; sometimes his voice sounds so much like a real instrument that you even forget that you are hearing vocals--I don't even know what other vocalist could pull this off. It is a fascinating experiment. I recommend it highly!

My 1st introduction to Bobby McFerrin (3.5-4 stars).......2005-05-29

I think I kinda heard this back in elementary school (maybe like in the 2nd, 3rd, 4th grade or so, I get kinda mixed when I say that), it's like sumthin I never heard be4, A guy who sings, scats and does it all goes by the name Bobby McFerrin and a cellist by the name of Yo Yo Ma. I'd have follow thru his work as a cellist/string player from various TV apperances, shows, movies, etc. and he does sounds good 2 this day, believe me.

Anyway as I was gonna say this was the 1st album I got introduced a bit by Bobby McFerrin. Not SIMPLE PLEASURES nor SPONTANEOUS INVENTIONS. Just this 1. I hope to hear more from him and collect all of his albums incl. Yo Yo Ma's. They still sound good. No doubt.

Average customer rating:

Bravo!
Outstanding compilation of the Italian classics,

Dinner Classics: The Italian Album

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Viva Italia! Festive Italian Classics

ASIN: B0000026XP
Release Date: 1990-05-17

Tracks:

Canzon Septimi Toni No.2
Concerto in E Major, Op. 8, No. 1: I-Allegro From Spring (La primavera)
Overture (Allegro)
from Concerto in G Major for 2 Guitars: I-Allegro
from String Quartet in E Major Op. 13, No. 5: Minuetto
from Sonata for Violin & Guitar: III-Menuetto: Allgretto
from Sonata Concertata in A Major: III-Rondeau
Cantabile for Violin & Guitar
from Concerto for Guitar and Strings Orchestra, Op. 30: II-Andantino Siciliano
Nocturne: Moderato from the ballet La Boutique Fantasque (after Rossini)
from the Sebastian Suite: Barcarolle
Dance for Six (from William Tell)
La Donna E Mobile (from Rigoletto)
Musetta's Waltz (from La Boheme)
O Soave Fanciulla (Love Duet) from La Boheme
Vissi D'Arte (from Tosca)
Intermezzo: Andante Cantabile ( from Fedora)
Introduction to Act I (from La traviata)
Intermezzo (from Cavalleria rusticana)
Celeste Aida (from Aida)
O Mio Babbino Caro (from Gianni Schicchi)

Customer Reviews:

Bravo!.......2000-07-22

I heard this album for the first time at a restuarant in Florence during my trip to Italy. I was surprised it was from the US beacause it has captured the very soul of Italy. After 7 years it has remained my favorite of all Puccini cds I own. I especially like the fact that it is instumental and can be played for many occassions. It never fails to stir the wanderlust for a trip back to Italy! A must for every romantic!

Outstanding compilation of the Italian classics,.......1999-05-01

I have been a music lover for years. This CD introduced some Italian music to me that I was not familiar with. I listen to this music very often...it is almost theraputic in effect. I have never heard more beautiful music together on one CD. You won't regret getting this one!

Average customer rating:

Rich and Sensuous!

Vivaldi: Guitar Concertos

Manufacturer: Philips
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0000040WX
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

Concerto RV 580, In B Minor For 4 Guitars, Strings, And Continuo: Allegro
Concerto RV 580, In B Minor For 4 Guitars, Strings, And Continuo: Largo - Larghetto - Adagio - Largo
Concerto RV 580, In B Minor For 4 Guitars, Strings, And Continuo: Allegro
Concerto RV 532 In G, For 2 Guitars, String And Continuo: Allegro
Concerto RV 532 In G, For 2 Guitars, Strings, And Continuo: Andante
Concerto RV 532 In G, For 2 Guitars, Strings, And Continuo: Allegro
Concerto RV 356 In A Minor For Guitar, Stings, And Continuo: Allegro
Concerto RV 356 In A Minor For Guitar, Stings, And Continuo: Largo
Concerto RV 356 In A Minor For Guitar, Stings, And Continuo: Presto
Concerto RV 425 In C Major For Guitar, Stings, And Continuo: Allegro
Concerto RV 425 In C Major For Guitar, Stings, And Continuo: Largo
Concerto RV 425 In C Major For Guitar, Stings, And Continuo: (Allegro)
Concerto RV 93 In D Major For Guitar, Strings, And Continuo: (Allegro)
Concerto RV 93 In D Major For Guitar, Strings, And Continuor: Largo
Concerto RV 93 In D Major For Guitar, Strings, And Continuor: Allegro

Customer Reviews:

Rich and Sensuous!.......2000-11-05

Let's face it: there have been literally hundreds of Vivaldi's recordings made over the last 20 years (even longer if you include the many recordings made during the 60s and 70s that have since been digitally remastered), and while most of these recordings are just as good as the next, I found this particular recording to contain a certain depth and richness not usually associated with Baroque music. I use the word "depth" loosely as Baroque music is generally not meant to be "deep" or "expressive" in nature (after all, we're not talking Rachmaninoff here!) Yet, I have always felt that many of Vivaldi's concertos may have very well contained some element of expression without sacrificing any of the musical characteristics that were dominant during Vivaldi's lifetime. Well anyway, if you thought it couldn't be done (that is, bring expression and structure together), this CD proves otherwise.

Average customer rating:

Nectar of the Gods
So Soothing
An excellent addition to your collection

Vivaldi for Relaxation

Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000059SV2
Release Date: 2001-03-06

Tracks:

Concerto in D, RV 93: Largo
Concerto in G, Op. 10 No. 4: Largo
Concerto in F, RV 544: Largo
Trio in C, RV 82: Larghetto
Concerto in G minor, Op. 10 No. 2: Largo
Concerto in A minor, RV 357: Largo e sempre piano
Concerto in G, RV 413: Largo
Concerto in D minor, RV 535: Largo
Concerto in G, RV 436: Largo
Concerto in C minor, RV 197: Adagio
Concerto in D minor, RV 540: Largo
Concerto in A minor, RV 419: Andante
Concerto in A minor, F.I. No. 61: Largo
Concerto in G, RV 532: Andante
Concerto in D, RV 403: Andante e spiritoso
Concerto in D, RV 429: Andante
Concerto in E flat, RV 408: Largo
The Four Seasons, Op. 8: Winter: Largo

Customer Reviews:

Nectar of the Gods.......2007-05-12

Bought this for my husband who enjoys this type of music for relaxation- He loves it

So Soothing.......2006-12-28

This CD is so soothing that I have yet to hear the entire CD! I turn this CD on before I go to bed at night and am relaxed and sleeping before more than three songs have played. I'm not a musician so I cannot write about melodies or tempos or even the accuracy of the interpretation... I understand none of those, but I do know that I love playing this CD every night as I drift off to sleep.

An excellent addition to your collection.......2001-08-27

I own quite a few of the ".. for relaxtion" CD's, and this is one of my favorites. Mellow strands of Vivaldi are the perfect reading companion, great study music, and provide an excellent conversation background. This soothing compostion of Vivaldi's works is an excellent addition to any collection, as well as a great place to begin one.

Average customer rating:

Music for a historical event
What elegance and grace is contained here
Diversity is your best bet
Just sublime
Great Music as expected from Andrew Manze

Concert for the Prince of Poland
Vivaldi , Manze , and Academy of Ancient Music
Manufacturer: Harmonia Mundi Fr.
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00006644L
Release Date: 2002-07-09

Tracks:

Sinfonia in G major: Allegro molto
Sinfonia in G major: Andante
Sinfonia in G major: Allegro
Violin Concerto in E-flat major: Presto
Violin Concerto in E-flat major: Largo
Violin Concerto in E-flat major: Presto
Concerto in D minor: Allegro
Concerto in D minor: Largo
Concerto in D minor: Allegro
Concerto in A major: Allegro
Concerto in A major: Larghetto
Concerto in A major: Allegro
Violin Concerto in C major: Allegro
Violin Concerto in C major: Largo e cantabile
Violin Concerto in C major: Allegro
Concerto in C major: Allegro molto
Concerto in C major: Andante
Concerto in C major: Allegro

Amazon.com

Here, at a bargain price, is a real treat: the lively, elegant, musically alert Andrew Manze leading and playing a handful of wonderful Vivaldi concerti preceded by a little Sinfonia. The concerti, all backed up by the usual strings, are for various combinations of instruments. Two are straight violin concerti (playful and bright). One is for violin and three echo violins that repeat what the lead violin has done, but at a distance from the other performers (very entertaining). The most beautiful is for lute and viola d'amore (a gentle, dark texture). The CD ends with one scored for recorders, chalumeaux, mandolins, therobos, cello, and special violins, which is a riot of sound, with a particularly jaunty first movement. The disc's title refers to a visit to Venice in 1740 by Frederick Christian, the Prince Elector of Saxony, during which Vivaldi's music was performed. He was a lucky prince, and we're lucky to have this CD. As usual, Manze and the Academy of Ancient Music are superb. --Robert Levine

Customer Reviews:

Music for a historical event.......2007-01-13

Most Vivaldi recordings contain programs selected either by the medium (all bassoon concertos, for example) or by the opus number (all the concertos from Opus 8). This one is utterly unique, and that fact--in addition to the splendid performances--makes it especially interesting. The CD contains music performed (and at least partly written for) a specific event in Venice--a visit by Prince Frederick Christian, the son of the King of Poland. He was known to be very interested in music, so 3 special concerts were offered during his visit. One of these, on March 21, 1740, was organized and directed by Vivaldi.
The evening's program included a vocal piece--a serenata called "The Chorus of Muses" by the great playwright Carlo Goldoni--with its sections introduced by four concertos composed by Vivaldi. (The music of the serenata is lost, and even the name of the composer is unknown.)
Vivaldi's contribution to the evening was commissioned by the Pietà, the orphanage whose all-female orchestra he had made famous earlier in his career. These concertos may very well be his last works, because soon after the festive performance, he moved to Vienna, where he died in poverty the following year.
So listening to this recording not only lets us hear fine performances of some late Vivaldi works (still amazing for the variety of scoring and compositional approaches after having composed so much music over so many years), but it also transports us, in a kind of musical time machine, to a period and lifestyle that has certainly disappeared in the last 250 years. We know from his diary that the Prince particularly enjoyed one "echo" concerto (in which several instruments were seated at a distance for special echo effects).
It is an unusual and delightful way to encounter Vivaldi.

What elegance and grace is contained here.......2005-10-12

The Academy of Ancient Music has done a wonderful job with this CD of the 4 Concertos written by Vivaldi in honor of the vist of Prince Frederick Christian, Prince of Poland, to Venice. The works were spread out over several evenings so that they could be enjoyed by the illustrious guests. The Academy of Ancient Music does a superb job with this collection of music that required use of instruments rarely used today.

Sinfonia in G major dazzles us with joyful pomp. The third movement echoes the Autumn section of the Four Seasons by capturing the sound of the harvest folk dance.

Violin Concerto in E-flat major is incredibly well constructed, almost mathematical in composition, with passages building one upon the other. The first movement builds gradually but the third movement slips and slides like children in a playground.

Concerto in D minor has courtly beinnings. Like much of Vivaldi, the violins sometimes are allowed to take the foreground with a somewhat rustic power, yet they are usually balanced by the pure elegance of the other instruments and melodies that echo with intensity. The lute accompanies the violin and other string instruments with its Renaissance sound. Lute strings individually plucked slow the piece and increase the intensity of anticipation in the second movement.

In Concerto in A major, Vivaldi uses violins with three echo violins. In the CD program they explain that when this piece was played for the Polish Prince, the primary violinist was visible but that they echo violinists were hidden around the concert hall, which I can only guess was a delightful and playful game to play with the listening audience of the time. In this concerto, the violins sound so birdlike as they echo each other's songs back and forth. In the final movement, Allegro, the violins boldly and sweetly play their echo game, no longer playing birds but mellowing into instruments of joy.

In Violin Concerto in C Major we hear graceful refrains that build like the Spring section of the Four Seasons.

In the Concerto in C Major we hear the finest piece on the whole CD in terms of complexity and orchestration. The recorder is used along with instruments called chalumeaux and theorbos. The grand march sound of the Allegro molto subsides long enough to hear the wonderful wind instruments complimented by mandolins, giving a delightful break from the violins. I think this concerto is my favorite on the CD, with the warm sounds of rare instruments permeating the piece.Yet, how can one pick a favorite from this wonderful collection of music.

Vivaldi is so elegant, so graceful and balanced. I love his music because it puts demands only on my ear the way Matisse puts demands only on my eyes. He transports me.

Diversity is your best bet.......2005-09-03

The final work on this superb CD is one of Vivaldi's true masterworks. Like his incredibly famous Four Seasons, this work has true inspiration and a sound that is second to none. This Concerto in C is written for an astonishing array of diverse instruments. My favorite is the one that sounds just like a clarinet, although the clarinet, as we know it today, was not invented until decades later. This is a work that musicians just seem to absolutely adore. This is my third recording of this piece and in each case the performance has had amazing enthusiasm. It is a work that should be in everybody's library. Unless you have a strong dislike for the baroque or Vivaldi, you should enjoy this music. The rest of the music here is standard Vivaldi. It is interesting and has wonderful sounds, but not really inspired. However, at the budget price, the CD is well worth the money for the one masterpiece it has.

Just sublime.......2004-11-05

I bought this fantastic CD over a year ago and it became my most cherished 'Classics' possession. Then thieves broke in to my home and stole it along with many others. I've finally had it replaced by the insurance company, and am now revisting the beautiful sounds of this program. Superb playing, great collection of works, and the usual sublime recording quality from a HM production. This has to be one of the essential Vivaldi recordings, especially valued given the lower price.

Great Music as expected from Andrew Manze.......2003-06-23

Andrew Manze and the Academy of Ancient Music
again in this recording doing a wonderful job
the performances are splendid, the acoustics
are also wonderful. The Academy of Ancient Music
plays with clarity. Indeed, with this recording
the music of Vivaldi reached perfection!
Highly recomended!

Average customer rating:

This is a fantastic deal!
Excellent, Broad Selection
$70....when was this???
$70/40... you do the math.

Vivaldi: The Masterworks (Box Set)

Manufacturer: Brilliant Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00062FLHY
Release Date: 2004-11-30

Customer Reviews:

This is a fantastic deal!.......2007-02-25

If you are a fan at all of the Four Seasons you should love this music. I will admit right now that I am a classical music fan. I don't write or perform it. I am a novice listener. I have never taken any music lessons(though I am leaning in that direction) and certainly have not gone through any university music training. I started out in rock and roll but found classical as I got older and fell in love with it a few years ago.

With that context in mind I do hope I am able to recognize quality and this work is of the highest. It helps when you are starting with good ingredients in the first place. You can't bake great bread without great ingredients and Vivaldi's music library has some of the greatest musical ingredients of the last 300 years. They are very much the foundation for modern western culture and music. His talent is woven through what we are

The first 26 CDs are instrumental starting with the four seasons and working through many of the Master's many popular works. I will admit the four seasons are not the best interpretation I have heard but it is definitely acceptable. The rest of the music shows us many facets of the Baroque style and you can see themes emerging through some of the pieces that give us a 'fingerprint' of Vivaldi's style and the parameters of the stylistic leanings of the genre at the time. If you want to immerse yourself in 18th century music this is your chance

This music would be ideal for someone who owns a store and is looking for background music. With over 26 CDs of instrumental music alone you could have those constantly looping and you'd probably never get bored of them(OK I may be stretching it a little there). The reason is that the music does not leave a bad 'aftertaste' in your mind. It fits into the background as easily and naturally as it is to listen to it consciously in the foreground. If you are a fan of classical Baroque you don't usually need to be in the mood for this, it will adjust your mood to itself and Vivaldi's music is almost always of an uplifting sort if this collection is any indication. If you want something to listen to at your job 8 hours per day this is good for the mind and it would take you over a week to get through it if you listened to it every minute of every work day. You will also work without the worry of the music distracting your concentration. I find it enhances it when I'm working. I don't know how well this would work on school kids but teachers might want to try playing this during school time. You may create a few geniuses, we certainly could use more!

If you are looking for something to ease your sleep and oil your dreams I have put these CD's on in the background. Not only can I easily fall asleep when they are playing quietly in the background but it helps you sleep and you wake up in a very pleasant atmosphere if the music is still playing quietly when you wake(you probably would need to rip them to your MP3 player to do that). It's like napping at a classical music concert without the worry of being nudged by your spouse or offending the other concert goers with your snoring. That will be quite a unique experience for you and possibly give you some real sweet dreams. It has for me

So to wrap it up this is very intelligent, uplifting music that is great for your mind and your soul. It is definitely worth the purchase if you are a fan of the Four Seasons and the Baroque genre in my novice classical music fan's opinion

Excellent, Broad Selection.......2007-01-25

This 40-cd collection affords me a rare pleasure almost daily: the thrill of hearing something new by Vivaldi. Despite my best efforts over the years, I've managed to miss hearing a lot of great works by the master. Listening to a single CD now and then, catching tunes on the radio... you can't possibly get a comprehensive understanding of Vivaldi's output that way.

But when you work your way systematically from CD 1 through 40, you're sure to find many pleasant surprises. I've been skipping through everything I already know -- in some cases, it has only taken me about a minute to get through a whole CD (first 3 seconds of each track is usually enough). But then I stop and listen carefully three or four times to anything that's new.

Ah, what a pleasure. I've already acquired some new favorites. And some old standbys have proved even more rewarding, e.g. at first I thought RV 127 (CD 7, tracks 10-12) was performed too slowly (Naxos No: 8.553742 is much faster), but now I'm not sure; maybe it's BETTER that way! I can't recommend this set highly enough.

$70....when was this???.......2006-11-25

Wish the cost was $70 now. Guess the record producer (or Amazon) got tired of making less than $2 per CD.

$70/40... you do the math........2006-04-07

No, I don't own this collection...yet. However, the price of the collection compels me to review it beforehand. Never have I seen such a complete collection of Vivaldi compositions at such an incredibly low price. At $1.75 dollars a CD, the record producer (Brilliant Classics) isn't making much of a profit. The compilation pulls some of its works from DG Achiv Produktion's vault (see Standage), such as the violin concertos, as well as from unknown producers (the Poland Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra is heavily featured). The collection is so complete that it is academic, and I would not be surprised if music libraries quickly emptied it from Amazon's shelves. The collection is simply worth it for the incredible price (English Concert's recording of the violin concertos cost nearly 30 bucks, and is exactly featured here). Overall, the price alone makes this collection exceptionally attractive, and the ensembles featured aren't bad either.

Average customer rating:

Finally, Fast Enough!!!!
Study in Color
Vivaldi and Europa Galante Make a Joyful Noise
Who says baroque stuff can't be electrifying?
- Biondi is still surprising- Grâce à Pisendel

Vivaldi: Concerti per mandolini
Antonio Vivaldi , Fabio Biondi , and Europa Galante
Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Vivaldi: Concerti con molti strumenti, Vol. 2
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Vivaldi - Il cimento dell'armonia e dell'inventione / Europa Galante, Biondi
Concert for the Prince of Poland
Boccherini: String Quintets; Minuet in A /Europa Galante * Biondi

ASIN: B00005UV9F
Release Date: 2003-01-07

Tracks:

I. Allegro
II. Andante
III. Allegro
I. Allegro Molto
II. Andante Molto
III. Allegro
I. [Allegro]
II. Larghetto
III. Allegro
I. Allegro
II. Largo
III. Allegro
I. Allegro
II. [Lento]
III. Allegro
I. [Allegro]
II. Largo
III. [Allegro]
I. Allegro
II. Largo A Piacimento
III. Allegro

Amazon.com

The seven Concerti per Mandolini are diverse enough to disprove the frequently heard accusation that all Vivaldi concertos sound alike. Though they are cast in the same three-movement structure, each has its own character, from playful, ingratiating charm to ardor, high drama, and lamentatious intensity. The fast movements are stately and brilliant with scintillating running passages; the slow ones are songful, pleading, and melancholy. Though at times Vivaldi succumbs to his predilection for sequences, these pieces have an incredible variety of tonality, mood, and color, employing a large number of instruments in many arresting combinations; the final one requires 17 instruments. In addition to the solo mandolins, there are standard and unusual strings and winds, including such rarities as chalumeaux, theorbo, viole all'inglese, and violini in tromba marina. The performances, at lowered pitch, are splendid throughout: brilliant in the fast, virtuosic movements, perfect in intonation and balance, pure in sound, invariably expressive, often passionate. The players use vibrato sparingly and add elegant ornamentation and cadenzas. Biondi, director and concertmaster, has a wonderfully sweet tone and leads without dominating the group. One cavil: the musicians get louder on all ascending passages and softer on all descending ones, and they make a long pause before every final note. This approach may be stylistically "authentic," but it becomes an annoying mannerism through overuse and exaggeration. --Edith Eisler

Customer Reviews:

Finally, Fast Enough!!!!.......2007-02-17

The Concerto for Diverse Instruments (called Two Mandolins on this CD) a piece that I had an old LP of with Bernstein & the NY Philharmonic, but until now, no one has really played it with the speed and spirit that old LP recording had. I really do recommend this CD and also will be buying more of Fabio Biondi's materials as time goes on. While he's no Bernstein, his work on this particular piece surpasses that of the great master!

Study in Color.......2006-03-25

Admittedly I bought this CD because it was the only recording of RV 558 that I could find in Hong kong. This is one of the most bizarre concerti grosso that has ever been composed; it is scored for 2 violini in trombe marina, 2 recorders, 2 mandolins, 2 chalemeaux, 2 theorbos and cello, in addition to strings and continuo (performed here on harpsichord). Clearly Vivaldi wanted to make a splash with this piece and he threw in everything in the back closet; the alternation of tone colors is really amazing.

A word about these instruments, working backwards. The theorbo is an obsolete but astonishingly lovely member of the lute family; it's something like a cross between a harp (with 8 unfretted bass strings that can sound only a single note) and a twelve string guitar (with 6 pairs of fretted strings) but pitched low--the upper two strings are not considerably higher than the two strings below them, which makes for ease of fingering but limits the upper range. The chalemeaux are precursors of the clarinet and are aurally difficult to distinguish from their progeny. Mandolins are plucked/strummed stringed instruments with 4 pairs of strings tuned like a violin, and these instruments were most likely played by violinists. The violins in trombe marina are somewhat controversial; Europa Galante come down firmly on the side of the score that these are essentially regular violins fixed with an asymmetric bridge which causes a sort of buzzing or rattling sound rather similar to the buzziness of the harpsichord, oddly enough, and which was thought to imitate the sound of the obsolete and incredibly bizarre tromba marina. But other scholars have argued that the parts were meant for performance on actual trombe marina. The "Sea Trumpet" was in fact a stringed instrument thought to sound like a trumpet but be more agile (trumpets in those times did not have valves and so had a very limited pitch choice--they were essentially bugles.). It has only a single melodic string, rather long, but up to 50 strings that resonate with sympathetic vibration with the melodic string. To make things even more curious, only harmonics were played on the instrument, throwing the intonation of certain pitches completely out of the norm. The tromba marina gets its name in part because it was said to be heard best at a distance, as over a body of water. I can testify that this is true--it's really a hideous sound that you wouldn't want to hear close up, something like a viola being scratched against a chalkboard. It's hard for me to believe that Vivaldi really composed this piece not just for one tromba marina, but for two; beyond the horror of the noise lies the fact that the parts probably aren't even close to possible on the tromba marina, but lie perfectly well on the violin.

At any rate, the piece is about color in a way that probably no one other than Bach conceived of for a very long time. And herein lies my complaint (a minor one); the performance is lovely, but I sometimes find the harpsichord overwhelming. It's especially difficult to hear the theorbos--they're so low; and to distinguish the violins in trombe marina sometimes--they match the harpsichord sound too much. Granted, in the Concerto RV 555, the two harpsichords are solo instruments and should be treated as such. But how RV 558 would flourish with less harpsichord--it would be such a treat.

At any rate, these are all delightful pieces, really some of Vivaldi at his best if you're tired of the Four Seasons, and certainly worthwhile performances.

Vivaldi and Europa Galante Make a Joyful Noise.......2004-04-27

As all reviewers on this page seem to agree, the first order of business is to jettison the old saw that Vivaldi wrote the same concerto 500 times. Certainly he can be faulted, as he always will, for falling back on too-obvious formulae (those oft-cited repeated sequences of his), but as for sounding alike: Just try the jovial, gallant first movement of RV 425 for solo mandolin and follow it with the somber, near-tragic opening of RV 319 for violin, oboes, and bassoon. Next, give RV 558 a spin; how different the grand, heroic sweep of this first movement!

Now that we've disposed of the chestnut about the sameness of the concerti, we can talk about the performances of Biondi and Europa Galante. I find them enthrallingly virtuosic in the Bach-like noodlings required of the two violins and two cellos in RV 564, a truly captivating work reminiscent, for me, of the Third Brandenburg. On the other hand, Biondi captures perfectly the sober mood of RV 319, where sentiment overrules virtuosity.

The two concertos for mandolins (RV 532 and RV 425) are some of Vivaldi's most genial, and they emerge with the right sense of dash and wit, while the two concerti RV 558 and RV 555 for "molti strumenti" make a grand noise, especially those raspy, rattling violini in tromba marina! On the other hand, the recorders, chalumeaux, theorbos, and cellos add a tenderness and grace in their solos that balance out the acerbity of these strange instruments. RV 555 increases the stereophonic effects with two harpsichords and with three violins against two viole all'inglese and the aforementioned cellos. In all, it's a remarkable sound world Vivaldi created in these two works, like nothing else in the concerto literature, and the virtuosi of Europa Galante make the music sound every bit as important as it should.

The recording, made in a church, is both close-up and highly reverberant, which takes a little getting used to, but once the ear adjusts, it reveals the dividends paid by the close miking. The solos all emerge with crystal clarity and timbral purity, while the ensemble playing is detailed and analytical without being clinical, thanks to that reverb. Though the recording tends to highlight the high end of things, it is probably true to the big, bright sound picture Vivaldi "saw" when he conducted his all-girl orchestra at the Ospedale della Pieta.

An exciting CD indeed.

Who says baroque stuff can't be electrifying?.......2004-01-13

This is one of the most encouraging and exciting discs in 2002! After a few hours of Vivaldi listening, one often gets the impression that he spinned out new concerti by applying the same formula - they all sound vaguely the same, after all. Vivaldi fatigue I call it. That's all the more why we need a disc like this: Biondi and his superb Europa Galante show that Vivaldi concerti can be full of surprises and excitement, and extremely colourful writings. These are readings of high drama and strong emotions, it's hard to imagine anybody not moved by the sheer energy level and dedication. Concerto RV 576 gets a superb airing especially.

- Biondi is still surprising- Grâce à Pisendel.......2003-02-14

At first, I had to be convinced. I have to admit it was long. Now it's done. Well done.
Fabio Biondi is at his best in the "Concerto en sol mineur" (dédié à Pisendel(RV 319)". In "Concerto en ut majeur" (RV 558), Jean-Christophe Spinosi (do you know him and his ensemble "Matheus" (Naive)) was able to gave more surrealistic moments. But the Europa Galante version is very interesting.

I give Biondi credits to let the other members of his "formidable" Europa Galante free to play like it was some "concertos grossos". A very good CD full of vitality. Virgin Veritas does it better than it was the case in the concertos grossos of Scarlatti (father and son.)Better sound. Biondi is a great virtuose. I am waiting for his next challenge. Vivaldi again ?

Essential Vivaldi: 20 Greatest Masterpieces
Average customer rating:

Well Done Collection of Vivaldi Concertos

Essential Vivaldi: 20 Greatest Masterpieces

Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Academy of Ancient Music | ( A ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
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ASIN: B000068C7Y
Release Date: 2002-06-11

Tracks:

I. Allegro - Silvia Ochi
II. Largo - Silvia Ochi
III. Allegro - Silvia Ochi
I. Allegro Giusto - Pepe Romero
II. Largo - Pepe Romero
III. Allegro - Pepe Romero
I. Allegro - Patrick Gallois
II. Without Tempo Indication - Patrick Gallois
III. Allegro - Patrick Gallois
I. Allegro - Maurice Andre
II. Largo - Maurice Andre
III. Allegro - Maurice Andre
I. Allegro - James Tyler
II. Andante - James Tyler
III. Allegro - James Tyler
I. Allegro - Salvatore Accardo
II. Largo - Salvatore Accardo
III. Allegro - Salvatore Accardo
I. Presto - The English Concert
II. Adagio - The English Concert
III. Allegro - The English Concert
I. Allegro - Anner Bylsma
I. Gloris In Excelsis Deo - Regensburger Domspatzen
VII. Domine Fili Unigenite - Regensburger Domspatzen
XII. Cum Sancto Spiritu - Regensburger Domspatzen

Tracks:

I. Allegro - Alan Loveday
II. Largo - Alan Loveday
III. Allegro - Alan Loveday
I. Allegro Non Molto - Alan Loveday
II. Adagio-Presto - Alan Loveday
III. Presto - Alan Loveday
I. Allegro - Alan Loveday
II. Adagio Molto - Alan Loveday
III. Allegro - Alan Loveday
I. Allegro Non Molto - Alan Loveday
II. Largo - Alan Loveday
III. Allegro - Alan Loveday
III. Allegro - Pina Carmirelli
I. Allegro-Adagio-Allegro - I Musici
II. Andante Molto - I Musici
I. Allegro - Simon Standage
II. Cantabile - Simon Standage
III. Allegro - Simon Standage
II. Largo - Lisa Beznosiuk
I. Allegro (Moderato) - Heinz Holliger
II. Largo - Heinz Holliger
III. Allegro - Heinz Holliger
II. Largo Non Molto - Franco Gulli

Customer Reviews:

Well Done Collection of Vivaldi Concertos.......2006-10-21

Looking for an inexpensive but well done Vivaldi concerto collection? One that includes the Four Seasons? One that has concertos for seven instruments? One that has three beautiful choral pieces? One that includes likes of such greats as Pepe Romero, Academny of St.Martin inthe Fields, Heinz Holliger among others?

This is it then. Especially enjoy the mandolin concertos (two of them here) and the Two Cellos, as well as Holliger in Oboe work. Also, the Cum Sancto Spiritu is powerful and shows range of this tireless composer who influenced so many and still does. This is nice for someone looking to add a litte Vivaldi to their playing collection. Sheer enjoyment!

Julian Bream: The Ultimate Guitar Collection-Volume 2

Average customer rating:

Not ultimate- but wonderful, none-the-less
Very Nice Bream Collection
Not what I thought!
Ultimately Satisfying
Spectacular

Julian Bream: The Ultimate Guitar Collection-Volume 2

Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00004UEH6
Release Date: 2000-08-08

Tracks:

I: Allegretto
Capricho Arabe
A Fancy
Etude No. 5 In C
I. Allegretto
I. Allegretto
I. Allegro
The Wood So Wild
Adante; Molto Adagio; Adante
Fandango
Segovia, Op. 29
Fantasia XXII
II. Andante
Preludio
II. Andantino Grazioso
Fantasia
Bourree
Gigue
Polonaise, Op.2, No.2
Canario

Customer Reviews:

Not ultimate- but wonderful, none-the-less.......2007-04-14

As good a guitarist as Julian Bream is, one must begin by acknowledging that the title of this 2-CD set containing 32 admittedly seminal pieces written for hand-played strings ( primarily, the lute) is a tad hyperbolistic. An "Ultimate" collection of anything would have to be more complete, by definition, than any two CDs can be and, again, it almost goes without saying that no two people are apt to be in total agreement about what should or should not have been included in any such collection. All caveats considered and aside, this is, indeed, a thoughtfully selected and masterfully performed collection of what is, unarguably, some of the very best classical pieces ever written for the lute. Bream plays some of them on the guitar and others on a renaissance lute - the latter giving a somewhat truer indication of the stylings and musical nuances intended by the various composers. But, even the pieces he plays on the guitar - an instrument that, in it's current form, did not exist when many of the pieces were originally composed - are sensitive and lyrical interpretations that sound as if they MIGHT have been composed for the guitar.

Without spending space here reiterating the specific pieces, their titles and lengths, I will simply list the composers whose works Bream presents so nicely in this collection. They span a range of about five centuries beginning in the time of England's Elizabeth I and spanning the years through to the 20th Century's premier Spanish and Brazilian classical guitar composers. The list reads like a `Whose Who" of classical plucked-string instrument music and of composers whose keyboard compositions work particularly well on the strings of a lute or guitar, and includes;
- John Dowland
- Francis Cutting
- Antonio Vivaldi
- Gaspar Sanz (*)
- Mateo Albeniz (*)
- Manuel de Falla
- Enrique Granados (*)
- Hector Villa-Lobos, and
- Joaquin Rodrigo
(*) = Pieces originally written for keyboard play.

Every classical guitarist has his own recognizable style and approach to the instrument and the material. An experience listener would not confuse Bream's work with that of Andres Segovia, for example: but it is not that one is better than the other. Each, in his own distinctive way, is simply superb. Though the Spanish influence is clearly audible with both musicians, Bream's stylings have a more contemporary lilt and inflection than do those of Segovia; he makes each piece his own. One suspects that each time he plays a piece it comes out differently according to the moment, his mood, the instrument and God knows what else. Segovia, on the other hand, was well known for his constancy once he had found a version of each piece that fully suited his own ear and temperament.
While I am admittedly a Segovia fan, I find Bream's renditions to be noticeably fresher and each infused with an aura of presence in the here-and-now which I find especially enjoyable.

The collection is neither complete not `ultimate', but it is VERY good and well worth having in any collection of classical guitar music. In fact, for audiophiles not familiar with this genre, it is a fair place to begin to develop an ear for and a listener's knowledge of and experience with the classical guitar.

Very Nice Bream Collection.......2005-03-03

I have volumes one and two, but I prefer volume two because it contains later recordings, which are of a better sound quality than the tin-can reverb that predominates in volume one. I really like the inclusion of about a half dozen lute pieces in addition to the guitar. I wasn't a lute fan before, but after hearing Bream playing lute on this CD, I am a convert. Ditto with what one reviewer said about Sor's Andantino Grazioso--purely delightful.

Overall, this CD consists of a good variety of masterfully played music. I only wish most of Bream's recordings were recorded using later technology, which would make his playing shine even more.

Not what I thought!.......2004-11-08

Well, a bit of a "anti-climax"! I was expecting something totally different. Not at all the kind of guitar music I like but will make out a great unexpected gift (hopefully). The delivery time from order to delivery was excellant, 19days - internationally!

Ultimately Satisfying.......2004-02-03

A wonderful companion to the first set, this edition includes 20 beautifully recorded pieces by one of the master guitarists of the twentieth century. And Bream is at his best in these recordings, showing off his amazing technique, as well as his almost daunting emotional power. An amazing gift to guitarists and music lovers.

Spectacular.......2002-02-11

The brilliance of Breams guitar/lute shines through. If you love any of his work you will love this, I can never get tired of his work.Especially this one. Antantino grazioso is absolutely amazing.

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