Reviewed by John Irvine

The King's Consort now bring to Vivaldi the same conviction and passion, the same unity of spirit and direction, the same standards of excellence as we saw in the 11 volume examination of Purcell's sacred music. The soloists, choir and musicians are superlative in an as near faultless as possible performance of two of Vivaldi's best known choral works - "Dixit Dominus" and "Magnificat" - as well as some not so well known pieces. Vivaldi has often been referred to as the man who wrote the same concerto 400 times and the music is recognisably the same Vivaldi as you might expect from the composer of the "Four Seasons". There is obvious homage paid to J S Bach, the great and undisputed master of Baroque choral music, but Vivaldi- has a few tricks of his own up his sleeve and the result is something very much his own and perhaps rather underrated by contemporary critics. This is first-rate Baroque choral music, very much in keeping with the standards of musical excellence and the tastes and fashions of the period, sumptuous in texture, diverse in mood, colour and shade. The "Magnificat" in particular is a dramatic and stirring tour-de-force of both passion and reflection. A disc which is a delight to the ears and a most uplifting experience for the heart.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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