Fiery, Razor-Sharp Vivaldi
Micromegas | Ada, OK | 11/19/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This is the highlight of my Vivaldi collection--an unassuming Naxos' potpourri of violin concertos by Antonio Vivaldi. What makes this work is the playing (ferocious, fiery, digging-in kind of playing that makes this work seem vitally alive), and the choice of concertos, which emphasize the darker, "edgy" Vivaldi rather than the more popular image from The Four Seasons. Every concerto leaps off the disc, from the bouncy opening movement of the first concerto to the driving, stacatto movement of the last. The famous "Alla Rustica" concerto is played with incredible dash, and the lesser-known gems shine with the brooding fire that Vivaldi was such a master of. There's something of the theatre surrounding many of these concerti, definitely looking forward to the Sturm und Drang symphonies of Haydn and Mozart. A marvelous addition to any Vivaldi collection, and a superior disc in its own right."