Search - Antonio Vivaldi, Peter Kopp, Dresdner Instrumental-Concert :: Vivaldi: Dixit Dominus; Galuppi: 3 Psalms

Authentic Vivaldi side-by-side with delicious Galuppi - musi

Ingrid Heyn | Melbourne, Australia | 06/28/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"What a stunning work this is. It is impossible to exaggerate the sense of overpowering excitement that reverberated through the musical world upon the discovery that a manuscript, long thought to be a work by Galuppi, is in fact a full-scale sacred work by Vivaldi. A genuine and wondrous find indeed - and it's no surprise that performances of it the world over occurred as a result.



I had hoped the first recording of such an important piece (and such a genuinely great work in its own right) would be magnificent - and I was not disappointed. I was a little dubious when I saw that Roberta Invernizzi was the main soprano soloist, as I've not been entirely impressed with her singing on other recordings - but I am happy to say that my qualms were without foundation. On this recording, she's in wonderful control of her voice and sings like an angel. Sara Mingardo, the contralto, is mesmerising and almost unbearably beautiful, singing her solo work in tones like honey. Paul Agnew is remarkable as ever - the control this man has over his coloratura passages and the sheer beauty of his tone show why he is considered one of the world's finest tenors.



The playing of the ensemble is excellent.



My very, very faint quibble is that the conducting is clearly on the legato side where I found myself wishing it had a little more "spice" à la the exciting drive and accentuation of, for instance, Christie. But this is minor indeed in the face of such lovely performances.



The Galuppi works are very beautiful. Again, they present opportunities for each soloist to show their fine vocal attributes. Galuppi was extremely highly regarded during the period in which he composed, and it is a shame that he is not as well-known as Vivaldi. His genius deserves better than oblivion.



This is a recording to play over and over. It's an historic recording that has an important place in the oeuvre, but on its own merit, it is also glorious, glorious music, wonderfully sung and performed."