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Review by Lute June 25, 2012 (2 of 2 found this review helpful)
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"superbly stylish...sails off into the stratosphere"...Evening Standard ...is printed on the back of the case. Well... Who could argue with that! Another wonderful SACD release fron Linn. A collection of little known cantatas by Vivaldi, and 3 of his sonatas for violin & cello come together to make a delightful program. Actually, the accompaniment for the violin sonatas has been expanded to include not only cello but also harpsichord and theorbo. This makes for "a more lavish alternative" according to violinist & director Adrian Chandler. I couldn't agree with him more!!
The cantatas are superbly sung by Mhairi Lawson. Her expressive voice has a beautiful tone and a variety of color. She explores all the drama & emotion of the cantatas' little stories. She is given first class support by La Serenissima, who play with refinement and feeling. Their style of playing might not have the raw passion of their Italian counterparts, but they create a beautiful sound world that is all their own. And they can play with plenty of fire and flare, as in the finale of the B minor sonata.
Realistically recorded in multichannel. Mhairi Lawson's voice is well balanced with the other players. The sweet tone of Adrian Chandler's violin and the other instruments is extremely vivid. The only odd thing is that the names of the other players are NOT written anywhere. There is a nice photo of everyone, but who is playing the cello, theorbo, and harpsichord??? A small complaint with an otherwise excellent release. Recommended!!
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