Vivaldi: Laetatus sum (psalm 121), R.607

“Both [Flores and de la Rosa] have an agility and purity of tone that make them ideal Baroque stylists...Les Agrémens plays with strong attack and crisp ensemble. As its lithe and precise singing on this recording shows, the Choeur de Chambre de Namur is one of the most accomplished mixed-voice choirs specializing in Early Music.” International Record Review, July 2011

“Excellent singing and playing make this a recording to admire.” The Observer, 19th July 2009

“Vivaldi’s exuberance and ingenuity are underlined by these radiant performances.” The Telegraph, 11th August 2009 ****

“La Capella Ducale deliver the psalms with joy, some of the ornamentation is so detailed it sounds like laughter.” The Independent, 31st July 2009 ****

“…reliably stylish and congenial performances…” Gramophone Magazine, November 2009

“Parrott's decision to perform this selection of Vivaldi's sacred music with sopranos and altos shows how the all-female forces of La Pietà might have coped with tenor and bass lines. Delectable performances in superior sound.” BBC Music Magazine, October 2006 ****

“This isn't the 'Vivaldi Vespers', or even a reconstruction of a specific event, but a kind of 'sacred concert' in Vespers form, of the sort that Venetian churches in Vivaldi's time would mount in the name of worship.
Whether he ever supplied all the music for any such occasion isn't clear, but he certainly set plenty of Vespers texts, enough at any rate for Rinaldo Alessandrini and scholar Frédéric Delaméa to put together this rich programme.
So this is music for a Vespers for the Feast of the Assumption as it might have been heard in one of Venice's more important churches, made up of Vivaldi's settings of the five Vespers psalms, a Magnificat, a Salve Regina, a solo motet (Ascende in laeta) and a couple of orchestral concertos.
Unmistakably Vivaldian in almost every bar, these pieces nevertheless show considerable variety; the psalms range from the opulence of Dixit Dominus for five soloists, two choirs and two choirs, to the expressive solo settings of Laudate pueri and Nisi Dominus, to the breezily functional choral treatments of Laetatus sum and Lauda Jerusalem; Ascende in laeta is a virtuoso showpiece for soprano, and the Salve Regina a sombre vehicle for contralto. The liturgical thread is supplied by plainchant antiphons, prettily rendered in a fascinating conjectural imitation of the 18th century's 'corrupt' manner, which is to say, with organ accompaniment and unabashed ornamentation.
Alessandrini's reading has an energy which is both forthright and controlled. His solo singers are of high quality; Roberta Invernizzi and Sara Mingardo are from the front rank of Italian Baroque singers, capable of expressive lyricism and thrilling virtuosity, but Gemma Bertagnolli is no less effective. The orchestra plays with inspiriting precision and life, but the choir could be improved on, and is poorly favoured in the recorded balance. Indeed, the recorded sound as a whole is a bit noisy, in places suffering a distant mechanical whir. Still, the overall effect is what counts most in a recording like this: the music has a vital sense of direction, resulting in two and a half hours of invigorating listening.” Gramophone Classical Music Guide, 2010

“The impressive energy conveyed in the choral singing owes much to the set's guiding force, Maestro Alessandrini, whose leadership consistently results in vital, vibrant performances.” Classics Today

One of the most rewarding discs in this splendid series to date
International Record Review

“Volume 6 of this series was a Gramophone Award nominee in 2001 and this one is just as good: it contains some very fine and largely unfamiliar music, in splendid performances. The principal work is the 'other' Gloria – RV588, not the popular 589, which, however, by no means outshines it. This setting, in fact, begins particularly fascinatingly, as the choral climax to a short, introductory solo motet Jubilate, o amoeni chori; the motet elides, as it were, into the choral Gloria in an attractive and lively movement. Then follows a poetic, choral 'Et in terra pax', rich in texture and especially in harmony, and several further movements scarcely less appealing than their counterparts in RV589.
The disc starts a shade unpromisingly, with what seems rather a routine Laetatus sum, in solid block choral writing against orchestral figuration.
But the Laudate pueri is quite another matter, a highly demanding solo motet which Carolyn Sampson sings with great precision and brilliance – Vivaldi often writes for the solo voice as if it has the agility of a violin, but this clearly doesn't disturb her. There's a lot of original and imaginative writing here.
The short motet Vestro principi divino was probably written for a weak contralto, in which case the use of Nathalie Stutzmann is an inspired piece of miscasting: she sings this entertaining piece with great power and accuracy, and goes on to do the motet introducing the Gloria in virtuoso fashion.
The other soloists, Susan Gritton and Charles Daniels, have less to sing but do it with no less distinction. And Robert King directs his choir and orchestra with sensitive feeling for tempo, nuance and style. One could hardly ask for more.” Gramophone Classical Music Guide, 2010

“This is a radiant, joyful piece of virtuoso writing for the voice. With its many subtle contrasts and vivid word-painting, it seems to me to sit comfortably atop the Vivaldi solo sacred music tree along with the Stabat Mater and Nisi Dominus. There are no weak links in this beautiful, often exhilarating piece and listeners will not, by and large, be disappointed by the performance. Dawson and Zádori are at an advantage, perhaps, in singing the music at a lower Baroque pitch, but even so Marshall hits her high notes – and there is no shortage of them – dependably and with panache.” Gramophone Magazine, April 1992

“These are not period-instrument performances and they are often given with quite large forces with a tendency to a certain sturdiness. Yet's there a drive and enthusiasm in Negri's conducting that is very winning, and he's helped by crisp choral singing...The real delight here is the music - Vivaldi at his most varied and inventive.” International Record Review, May 2011