[HoosierHawk]

Prayers for our troops, veterans, families, friends, and allies on this Labor Day Weekend.

Classical Music presented on the first Sunday of every month.

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Keyword: firstsundaymusic

[HoosierHawk]

Ping for First Sunday Music!

Antonio Vivaldi!

[HoosierHawk]

And of course, the Labor Day Weekend was last month.

Enjoy!

[SWAMPSNIPER]

We thank you much!

[Publius]

Stay away from modern instrument recordings of Vivali pieces. It's not just that steel strings lack the plangency of gut strings, but that until recently we didn't have a clear view of Baroque performance practice.

Baroque music was a lot like jazz. In oratorios and operas, in a da capo aria, the notes on the printed page were ironclad in the first pass through the piece. But on the second pass, the singer was expected to improvise his own ornamentation to show off his vocal chops. Likewise, in a concerto, the notes on the printed page were often a suggestion, where the instrumentalist was expected to improvise around the printed line.

For the L'Estro Armonica violin concertos, stick with Pinnock and Standage. By the way, in the first movement of the B minor concerto (#10) for 4 violins, Vivaldi uses a chromatic chord progression that is very un-Baroque. In fact it makes the top of your head come off.

There is a recording of Vivaldi's lute and mandolin concerti by Il Giardino Armonico conducted by Antonini (Teldec 4509-91182-2) that is exceptional. Compare Antonini's Concerto for Diverse Instruments in C Major (RV 558) with Leonard Bernstein's recording with some New York Philharmonic players made in 1959. Bernstein's recording follows the score religiously but lacks the bite of Antonini's faster speed, the plangency of gut stringed violins, and the freshness of improvisation.

[yorkie]

Thank you! I’m so glad I found you, today! (The sound quality is great!)