# Vivaldi x 2^2
La Serenissima, directed by violinist Adrian Chandler, has been putting out releases featuring Vivaldi’s music for some time. They’re most recently been releasing on Signum Classics. Unlike many of the British ensembles that preceded them in the 1980s, Chandler’s style has to me always been a little more exciting.
I auditioned this recoding both on headphones and in a 2-channel stereo setup with speakers.
The premise was to record Vivaldi’s double concertos, including those with “doubles” of instruments, such as the opening concerto, RV 557, for two violins, two oboes, two recorders, bassoon, and strings. Several of these works were made popular among groups like The English Concert under Pinnock and the Academy of Ancient Music, under Hogwood. At least that’s how I first encountered a number of the concertos included here.
I auditioned this record via Qobuz in high resolution (96kHz) with no access to the liner notes. I will continue to repeat this when liner notes aren’t provided because while I am not sure who is to blame, it does not cost a record company any more money to distribute a digital copy of a file produced for printing. And the value of the recording is not as high when the notes and details are missing. If this behavior is meant to get us to purchase CDs, I can understand, as not as much money is to be made via streaming. Yet that’s where we are. I don’t plan on buying a CD again.
This is important because I don’t have details about where the recording was made or who is performing. And yes, the details might be found somewhere online, but that’s time I just don’t have. Update: (Nov. 2024) a rep from La Serenissima reached out and provided me with their digital booklet, with news that they plan to make all their booklets available online via their website. My appreciation goes out to them for reaching out!
The recoding quality for me was superior listening via speakers. The acoustic is quite wet, with everything blurring together a bit. It’s not bad sounding, but my own preference is for a dryer recording. The effect was more pronounced listening via headphones. That said, the soloists are placed closer to the microphones and had more focus.
Both violinists are well-matched in the opening concerto. Some fast passages are handed to the oboes, which respond well. I detected no technical wobbles among the soloists in the first concerto or elsewhere in the recording.
I was happy to see my favorite “double concerto” by Vivaldi was included, the one for two cellos (RV 531). I first heard this live, performed many, many years ago by Tafelmusik, which wasn’t among their best performances, given that the two cellos were not of the same caliber. In this rendition, they each have a different sound, the second maybe will less bite to the articulation, but the direction offered by Chandler is effective. We’re well beyond the need to record a concerto like this as a slave to a constant, time-keeping metronome. The concerto’s moments of bliss and drama are all exploited.
The double flute concerto in C (RV 533) I remember fondly with the AAM. The CD didn’t break up the concerto into movements! Just as the AAM did, Chandler employs two transverse flutes here. This concerto, either with strings, or alone with piano, is fodder for many junior musicians, with which this can sound simplistic. Especially so when the flutes are playing together, there’s a little swagger and rubato indulgences which I think catapult this beyond student recital fodder. The big, wet acoustic on this album actually makes this concerto live a bit, some of the strings seem especially far and that gives a sense of great depth; the continuo is grouped close to the two flutes, which have a nearly velvety tone.
One of the double concerto for two oboes is also included (RV 534). This, alongside the concerto for two cellos, uses organ in the continuo. This is a nice change, variety wise, and is also somewhat authentic as we know Vivaldi used organ continuo for his performance of the Four Seasons. The timbre of these oboes is a little bland, if I have to be honest. The lower register takes on more character with darkness, but this quibble aside, the two players are in lock-step and are make everything sound easy. The slow movement is sparsely scored for the oboes with strings, which isn’t something unique among Vivaldi’s slow movements. The movement doesn’t seem to go anywhere of particular interest, which is a knock on Vivaldi, not the performers assembled for this recording. The only thing that might have made it less pedantic would have been some inventive ornamentation.
The most interesting work on the record is the last, the concerto for two flutes, two oboes, violin and cello, with strings, Il proteo, o sia il mondo. I enjoyed this most recently performed by Amandine Beyer. Signum Classics was smart to put the harpsichord up closer with the soloists, which offers a nice textural component to the ensemble’s sound. The direction again is on-point, promoting Vivaldi’s style with panache, without going into some of the more severe treatment that some Italian ensembles are known for.
As with the other concertos, the chosen tempos work well, staying within the bounds of every performer’s technical abilities. When the full ensemble is going the sound from La Serenissima is rich and full.
This album for me was great for bringing back some “best hits” from Vivaldi that I got to know many years before. As ever, Chandler and his band are establishing what I consider strong contenders for reference-recordings for Vivaldi’s instrumental music. They may not always present the most daring performances, but they are rendered with enough affect and a restrained, if not sometimes daring style. Rarely does a record come out with so many soloists of equal strength. Chandler is an obvious standout, but so are the flute players and the two oboists.
This release adds to their reputation and strength of their ongoing endeavor to record Vivaldi’s music. And even if the concertos I’ve mentioned you already have represented in your collection, I think these are worthy alternatives to enjoy all the more.
