Reviewed by Steven Whitehead

Like many of my contemporaries the first classical CD I purchased was Nigel Kennedy's take on Vivaldi's 'Four Seasons' which has left me with a soft spot for dear old Viv ever since. This mid-price CD brings the same enthusiasm and technical ability that Kennedy had - and has - with the violin to three key vocal works by Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741): "Nisi Dominus" (RV608), "Crucifixus" (RV592), and "Stabat Mater" (RV621). As a Vivaldi specialist conductor Jean-Christophe Spinosi is aware of the permeability of the boundaries between sacred music and opera and directs his vocalists Marie-Nicole Lemieux (contralto) and Philippe Jaroussky (countertenor) along with the Ensemble Matheus to bring out the depths of emotion in a way that is accessible for a modern listener. Baroque music should be light on its feet and here, even in the "Stabat Mater" as Mary watches her son die, we see the light of hope beginning to dawn above the horizon of heart-break. If ever you wanted to know if Vivaldi wrote anything else this is the place to start. Although the programme is only just over 40 minutes long the price reflects the brevity and the performances are worth far more.

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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