Antonio Vivaldi

A unique disc from one of Scotland’s most dynamic and versatile groups: the Scottish ensemble is a tightknit band of outstanding string players from around Europe who perform regularly together under Artistic Director, Jonathan Morton. This disc, one of their first solo releases following acclaimed discs with artists such as Alison Balsom and Toby Spence, contrasts Vivaldi’s timeless Four Seasons with Piazzolla’s tango inspired The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires.

The Modern Mandolin Quartet presents a delightful alternative to a Christmas classic with the Dorian Sono Luminus release of Nutcracker Suite, an enchanting collection of music reinvisioned with instruments from the mandolin family: two mandolins, a mandola and mandocello.

The Modern Mandolin Quartet was formed in 1985 to give a new voice to that most American of musical instruments, the mandolin. Following the tradition of the mandolin orchestras and chamber groups from the early twentieth century, the MMQ uses the instruments of the mandolin family which correspond to the conventional string quartet (two mandolins, mandola, and mandocello). To date the Quartet has arranged and performed over 90 works originally written for orchestra, chamber ensemble, piano, guitar, and string quartet.

Miguel Llobet’s most popular works are the arrangements of Catalan folk songs (Canciones populares Catalanas). Llobet’s original solo guitar melodies have been re-arranged for mandolin quartet. The interesting, often strange harmonies he chose and the delicate texture of the guitar music made these pieces quite fun and natural for the MMQ.

MMQ has been performing their own fun version of Tchaikovsky’s masterpiece since 1991. Influenced by Mstislav Rostropovich’s extraordinary Berlin Philharmonic recording, MMQ brings its own other-worldly magic to this perennial musical favorite. Fauré’s haunting Pavane is bathed in harmonies which are quite rich and reminded the MMQ of jazz chords, and through improvisation the members of MMQ decided to include two solos in the finished product.

The Vivaldi Concerto in D Major is MMQ’s nod to the traditional plucked string repertoire. Its joyful energy and the quieter evocative quality of the second movement made this concerto a pleasure to play.

Léo Delibes composed his operatic masterpiece Lakme in 1883. This gorgeous musical selection (originally for soprano and mezzosoprano) translates beautifully in MMQ’s treatment and is a fitting close to the program. Lovers of traditional classical music, fans of plucked instruments, as well as fans of modern crossover arrangements are sure to flock to this intriguing re-imagination of these classical favorites.

For many years after his death, Vivaldi’s vast output of sacred music lay silent and forgotten until Alberto Gentili tracked down an incredible 27 volumes of manuscripts in the 1920s. These volumes contained motets, movements of Masses, the oratorio Juditha triumphans, psalm settings and Marian antiphons. These works ranged from short single-movement works to larger-scale compositions with twelve or more sections.

One of the most famous works unearthed by Gentili was the Gloria. Today, this work is as popular as The Four Seasons and is among Vivaldi’s best-known music. The Gloria, like much of the sacred music by Vivaldi, is easily accessible, like his famous concertos. The music has a very human spirituality – nothing mystic, just a desire to explain the text in a clear pictorial way.

Much of Vivaldi’s sacred music was written for the Ospedale della Pietà, a state-funded foundlings’ home for girls, where he became music director after his ordination in 1703. His writing focused almost entirely on instrumental music, especially concertos, when the choirmaster Francesco Gasparini went on leave and failed to return. Vivaldi was asked to help out, and the results can be heard on these seven CDs.

This set is a must-have for those who love Vivaldi’s music and wish to explore beyond the famous concertos.

New booklet note by Vivaldi scholar Michael Talbot.

The Dutch Loeki Stardust Quartet was established in 1978, and from the outset was not your ‘normal’ group of recorder-players. Sure, Baroque repertoire figured prominently in their concerts, but the concerts often contained surprises, substituting the last chord of a canzone with a well-known TV signature tune for example – in this case Loeki the Lion was the TV programme that gave the quartet its name. Wanting to give concerts that were a crossover between St Martin in the Fields and Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young was the aim in the early years.

A series of big engagements followed, including the Wigmore Hall with Christopher Hogwood, and then recordings for Decca which are included in this 4CD set. The maverick style of the group came to the fore again, when after a successful sequence of Baroque recordings they released a recording of music by Erroll Garner, Henry Mancini, Lennon and McCartney and Charlie Parker together with works by Vivaldi, Beethoven, J.C. and J.S. Bach.

Never before has the recorder sounded so much fun!

This recording presents pieces freely transcribed by both composers, with particular attention to Bach compositions drawn from the original Vivaldi repertoire. The ensemble Quartetto Icarus is well suited to the polyphonic writing by these two Baroque composers.

These important recordings have never before been brought together as a single box.

I Musici founded almost 60 years ago; this set is a fitting tribute to the ensemble that did more than any other to bring Vivaldi’s music to wider attention.

New booklet note by Vivaldi scholar Michael Talbot.