Antonio Vivaldi

The Vivaldi Edition pays tribute to the Venetian composer’s wonderful and all too rarely heard arias for bass voice. Lorenzo Regazzo, with his rich bass and perfect technique, shows that he has all the vocal qualities that are needed for this fine repertoire.

This rather special disc showcases both the high summer of the Italian Baroque style and the early spring of an extraordinary performer of our own time.

In writing his violin concertos, Bach learnt from his predecessors and contemporaries both home and away, no less than he did in the other genres he perfected. This is one of his most enduring qualities – one shared by Stravinsky in particular – to listen and read and learn wherever he could, take what he found, and turn it on the lathe of his own genius. So he made sure to study the concertos of his Venetian predecessor, who was famous even in his own time for the easy mastery of the concerto grosso style that allowed full licence to the brilliance of a solo performer while always staying within the bounds of accessibly structured forms and deftly shaped, memorable melodies. Dialogue, of an almost operatic kind, was prized. Bach took all of this, and, especially in his E major Concerto, one of his most extensive essays in the genre, imbued it with a new seriousness of purpose and intensity of expression. The slow movement of the Concerto for two violins is a still point in a turning world, and has touched the hearts of millions since Adolf Busch and Yehudi Menuhin made their pioneering recording in the 1930s.

Menuhin was one of those who, early on, recognised the distinctive talent of the Japanese violinist Midori (b.1971); this is among her first recordings.

Vivaldi’s op.6 concertos first appeared in print in Amsterdam in 1719. However, this edition was unreliable in the extreme. Scoring was incorrect, the number of works indistinct, random movements separated from their correct work, and a host of other errors. What is clear though is that these concertos are a decisive step forward from the works found in opp. 3 and 4. For example, all follow the fast-slow-fast pattern of the three movement concerto. The solo violin has prominence, so we are moving away from the concerto-grosso style. These recordings are the world premiere of the new critical edition by Alessandro Borin, Istituto Italiano Antonio Vivaldi, Fondazione Giorgio Cini, Venice.

These performances of Vivaldi’s violins concertos Op. 6 are a far cry from the elegant and charming performances of past generations: played on period instruments Vivaldi sounds powerful, vibrant, full of passion and drama.

The “one player per part” formation is based on recent research by English scholar Richard Maunder, and provide a close, immediate sound, as it might have been heard in a Venetian Palace. This release is the first of a prestigious Vivaldi project: the complete Opp. 1-12 concertos played by L’Arte dell’Arco, conducted and played by Federico Guglielmo!

This CD includes Corelli’s Sonate da chiesa a tre, for 2 violins and continuo in G minor Op.1/10, Vivaldi’s Trio Sonata for 2 violins and continuo in D minor Op.1/8 and Mozart’s Quartet for flute, violin, viola and cello No.1 K285. The ensemble demonstrates brilliant mastery with their diverse and colourful playing.

Camerata Hermans was formed in 2000 and all the performers have studied early music. The ensemble performs throughout Europe and the USA and has collaborated with various ensembles. This CD guides the listener through some of the most interesting vocal and instrumental works by 17th and 18th century Italian composers.

This superb specially priced 4-CD boxed set gathers together full recordings and highlights from critically-acclaimed and best-selling Vivaldi recordings by the award-winning combination of Ensemble Matheus and its conductor Jean-Christophe Spinosi. Featured singers include Philippe Jaroussky, Sandrine Piau, Marie-Nicole Lemieux, Veronica Cangemi, Lorenzo Regazzo, and Jennifer Larmore.

Each of these recordings received great praise from the press at the time of its release.

The fourth disc has never been available separately until now.

This wonderful specially priced 4-CD boxed set gathers together recordings and highlights from critically-acclaimed and best-selling Vivaldi recordings by the award winning combination of Concerto Italiano and its director Rinaldo Alessandrini. Featured soloists include Sara Mingardo, Gemma Bertagnoli, Roberta Invernizzi, and Sonia Prina.