Vivaldi, Concerti per violino X 'Intorno a Pisendel', Julien Chauvin, Le Concert de Laloge

 

If you think Baroque music need not worry about the aural sweetness of tone, of the period orchestral sound,  especially the strings, maybe you should listen to the fine performances of violinist Julien Chauvin and Le Concert de Laloge as they go forth in the recent CD of Vivaldi's Concerti per violino X "Intorno a Pisendel."  (Naive OP 7546). When we listen to Bach one might note that his level of invention is so high that the brilliance would shine even if played by a consort of kazoos! Someone like Vivaldi on the other hand has a pronounced inventive bent but then too his music almost sounds at times folkish with its lyric but often "down home" expressivity. His music benefits surely by historically informed performance practice.

And in a pronounced way, Chauvin and Le Concert de Laloge give us a rather stirringly enthused and spirited folksy reading of some primo Vivaldi. It is alternately peppy and placid in turn, alternately sweetly singing and heroically brio.

Without fail you who cherish a good sized holding of baroque gems or even if you only seek a few more than you have, here is an example doubtless sure to brighten up your musical world. Get this one! Recommended.