Search - Antonio Vivaldi, L'Astrée, Gemma Bertagnolli :: Vivaldi: Concerti e cantate da camera, II

Great recording ruined by excessive ornamentation

Maria Isabel Rivera | Puerto Rico | 04/10/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"In Vivaldi's chamber concerto and cantata repertoire one can sometimes find miniature gems. The small instrumental and vocal forces the composer used in both kinds of compositions allowed him to reveal unusual sonorities and wonderful dramatic moments. This second volume as part of the complete recordings of such works features soprano Bertagnolli with L'Astree orchestra. The three light-hearted chamber concertos pair up nicely with the cantatas (all of them about unrequited love- ranging from the heart-aching tenderness of Fonti di pianto to the sadistic unhappiness of Passo di pena). My only problem with this wonderful recording is Bertagnolli's obnoxious tendency to overdo the colorature in the da capo's. It seems as if the soprano wanted either to show off or explore the potencial of her voice while doing away with Vivaldi's seemingly simple setting. Sadly, what Bertagnolli manages to do with this technique is the complete opposite of what we would expect; most of the times the music's flow is interrupted by the unpredictable decorations Bertagnolli adds and the whole aria ends up sounding artificial and uncoordinated. Don't get me wrong, Bertagnolli achieves dramatic intensity in the recitatives and sings beautifully and with commitment until the da capos, when she gets histrionic. A wonderful disc that otherwise would've been perfect..."