Customer Reviews

Concerto Veneziano

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Although it was 20 years after he made his debut, it was the release of this recording about 2 years ago that shot Guiliano Carmignola, and the Venice Baroque, to world fame. It is that good. They play 4 violin concertos all written about 1730 in the style of the Venetian concerto developed by Vivaldi, there are two concertos by Vivaldi, one by Locatelli and one by Tartini.

The first by Vivaldi, RV 583, is typical of Vivaldi at his best, both elegant and brilliant, the second movement is hauntingly beautifull. The second, RV 278, is very different, dramatic and intense, again the second movement is lyrical. The Locatelli concerto is from his "L'arte del violino", a set of 12 concertos written to demonstrate his skill as a performer, the outer movements contain difficult cadenzas, here called "capricios". ( Carmignola has recorded four more of these concertos) The Tartini, D 96, has its own lyrical style, the alternative third movement, largo andante, is particularly beautifull. Indeed, it is the way the slow movements are played, using a lute in the continuo, that make this CD so appealing.

Throughout Carmignola and the Venice Baroque play superbly, and I see that now you can get it for under $10. Don't hesitate.

I heard this on the radio while driving and decided right there to purchase it, and i'm not buying a lot of music usually. It has elements of Vivaldi (not surprisingly) but some things are very peculiar: I could say that what really pulled me to it is the extraordinary beauty of the slower parts, for example the 11th and 13th parts. In particular the last movement: Hard to describe but it may put tears in your eyes, it's so sweet, so melancholic, and so beautiful. It drew me into reading more about Tartini, who isn't as well known as Vivaldi. And I admire the performance of this music: One can hear, certainly in the quieter and slower passages, how much the violinist(s) must enjoy playing this, the violinist's breathing is slighly audible in the quiet parts, which makes it so much more a deep human experience.

This is a beautiful CD! I bought it without hearing any of the music and I'm happy I did. It was a pleasant surprise! Beautiful, lush Baroque music. You won't be disappointed!

Superb! I highly recommend this CD to all classical music lovers. Violinist, Mr. Carmignola, is fantastic! Buy it, you won't be disappointed.

P. Cooper