Vivaldi: String Concertos Vol 2

'Another excellent disc from Collegium Musicum 90... Great entertainment
- Early Music Review

"Vivaldi's versatility, from rustic fare to sophisticated fugal writing, well illustrated."
- Gramophone February 2002

'Playing is excellent with barely a sour note throughout 36 movements.'
- BBC Music Magazine

Chandos' first volume of Vivaldi's string concertos was extremely well received.

Jointly founded by Simon Standage and Richard Hickox, Collegium Musicum 90 is today regarded as one of the finest period ensembles and is renowned for its interpretations of baroque and early classical repertoire. It has released well over forty discs under its exclusive contract with Chandos.

The concertos by Vivaldi featured on this recording are all classifiable by genre as concerti a quattro: that is, concertos for the standard string orchestra of the time but without the participation of a violin or other soloist. Vivaldi left over forty concerti a quattro which were composed, it appears, throughout his career. Most were probably destined for the concerts of instrumental music, performed by an all-female ensemble, which followed services in the chapel of the Ospedale della Pietà, the home for foundlings that Vivaldi served intermittently in various capacities between 1703 and 1740.

The great majority of Vivaldi's concerti a quattro have survived as autograph scores among the Foà and Giordano manuscripts in the Biblioteca Nazionale, Turin. This huge collection, miraculously preserved through the ages, represents Vivaldi's working archive. The manuscripts mostly take the form of original drafts, on which layers of subsequent amendments have been frequently superimposed. They tend to be hastily written and are often quite difficult to read and interpret. It appears that there is only one instance when Vivaldi grouped concerti a quattro as a set: that of the 'Paris' concertos, recorded by Collegium Musicum 90 as Volume One of the present series.

In the absence of clear historical guidelines, the choice of works for this second volume has been made on musical and pragmatic grounds with the aim of presenting an attractive cross-section.

The first volume of Vivaldi's string concertos received outstanding reviews:

'Collegium Musicum 90's stylish performances, distinguished by characterful phrasing and nimble rhythmic vivacity, add the final sheen to this captivating disc.'
BBC Music Magazine (Pick of the Month, March 2000)