Alessandrini's 'Vivaldi' disc reviewed in Gramophone magazine

Vivaldi - Gloria

Sara Mingardo Contralto
Concerto Italiano/ Rinaldo Alessandrini

 

Rinaldo Alessandrini's 1997 recording of Vivaldi's most famous Gloria, RV589 was widely acclaimed in some quarters but the wisdom of hindsight makes it transparent that the Italian maverick succumbed to barmy hedonism in the celebrated D major opening. A dozen years later, Alessandrini's re-recording of the Gloria as part of Naïve's Vivaldi Edition bears the traces of the realisation that anarchic speed is not, after all, the best way. This new performance, coupled with the other of Vivaldi's extant settings, still sets off at a brisker pace than most but it is no longer wilfully madcap: the articulate playing of Concerto Italiano permits enough room for the details to emerge, and Alessandrini nowadays seems to have enough confidence in his musicians (and in Vivaldi) to let the muscular expression of rhythms function without impatient snapping at the musical fabric. Another notable improvement from 1997 is his plangent choir. "Et in terra" is perhaps a bit short on mystery and atmosphere but it ebbs and flows in an appealing way, and the fugal "Propter magnam gloriam" is sung with plenty of muscle. "Laudamus te" crackles with energy, and Anna Simboli's graceful "Domine Deus Rex coelestis" features an elegant violin solo by Nicholas Robinson. Sara Mingardo treats "Domine Deus Agnus Dei" like an operatic lament and her copious vibrato feels over-exaggerated (although Francesco Moi's organ realisation is spot on).

Concerto Italiano also delivers a zesty performance of Vivaldi's less famous Gloria setting (RV588). The choir's tuning and intonation can be a little frayed at the edges but the counterpoint in "Qui tollis" is meticulously balanced, Mingardo is at her best in the heartfelt "Qui sedes", and Alessandrini's spirited direction is irresistible. Both Gloria settings are preceded by short solo "introduzioni"; Ostro picta, armata spina (RV642) is played with a charismatic spring in its step and the high florid soprano part is expertly dispatched by Monica Piccinini; it is peculiar that Naïve does not credit her on the cover but prominently names Mingardo, who provides only a little more than the equivalent service for the introduzione to RV588.

David Vickers