"Contralto, Marie-Nicole Lemieux and Ensemble Matheus, under the direction of Jean-Christophe Spinosi, recently released a recording of selections from operas and sacred works by Baroque composer Antonio Vivaldi. It was recorded on the Naive label and is simply titled "Vivaldi". The disc includes arias from Orlando Furioso, Griselda, La fida ninfa, as well as, selections from the Stabat Mater.
Ms. Lemieux sings with a bright clear tone that is unusual for contralto voices. Her tone is full and the voice never sounds heavy. Her vocal agility is evident from the first piece - Nel Profondo. The Stabat Mater piecs are equally well sung. Other performers on the CD include Counter-Tenor Phillippe Jaroussky, Soprano Veronica Cangemi, and Soprano Sandrine Piau. The duet, trio and quartet pieces are my favorites on this CD. If you enjoy Baroque era vocal music, then this CD is for you."