Improvisata: Sinfonie con titoli

Antonio Vivaldi (Composer), Giovanni Battista Sammartini (Composer), Carlo Monza (Composer), Luigi Boccherini (Composer), Giuseppe Demachi (Composer), Europa Galante (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Europa Galante
• Composer: Antonio Vivaldi, Giovanni Battista Sammartini, Carlo Monza, Luigi Boccherini, Giuseppe Demachi
• Audio CD (May 8, 2007)
• SPARS Code: DDD
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Virgin Classics
• ASIN: B000F3T3EG
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #323,408 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 53 Minutes, June 9, 2007

By 

Biberfan "Fan of Biber" (Virginia, USA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Improvisata: Sinfonie con titoli (Audio CD)

Before I listened, I was sore that the recording was only 53 minutes long. Yes, I would have valued a few filler sinfonias. But.. be forewarned: the music on this CD is rich and colorful.

You get your money's worth.

Europa Galante have never sounded so good... horns... multiple double-basses, and an excellent acoustic. The ensemble is held together with precise control.

Interestingly enough, I found the Vivaldi work a snoozer... If you bought IGA's account of Boccherini's Casa del Diavolo, this one is even better.

5 * * * * *

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars CONCISE, September 20, 2010

By 

GEORGE RANNIE "GWRJWMCL" (DENVER, COLORADO United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Improvisata: Sinfonie con titoli (Audio CD)

As a previous reviewer on this board expressed, I too was a little "put off" that this disc of Baroque Sinfonie(s) contained only fifty-three (53) minutes of music. However enjoying 17th and 18th century music the way that I do, I purchased the recording anyway. After all, it contains works by known to me Baroque composers, Vivaldi and Boccherini plus works by Baroque composers that are not too well known by me, Sammartini, Monza and Demachi. After listening to this recording played wonderfully by Fabio Biondi and Europa Galante, I am so very glad that I did add it to my recorded collection because it's delightful with compositions that are very concise and enjoyable to listen to especially as played by the aforesaid performer and ensemble. The recorded sound is very good too,

If you enjoy Baroque music that is played extremely well, buy this disc.

6 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Baroque Bandshell Music, November 18, 2007

By 

Giordano Bruno (Wherever I am, I am.) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Improvisata: Sinfonie con titoli (Audio CD)

Not a ripple of musical profundity disturbs the surface of this program of 18th C 'sinfonie'. If the Boston Pops abandoned their modern horns and strings to perform on "original instruments" in the Piazza of San Marco, this is the program they might select. I'm tempted to chide Fabio Biondi and Europa Galante for offering such a brief concert of such jolly bagatelles, when so much vastly more challenging music by the same composers is still unavailable. Did they expect somehow to tap into the CD racks of Wal-Mart and make a killing?

On the other hand, these five sinfonie are extremely well-composed and artful in their superficiality, especially the "house of the devil" by Luigi Boccherini. And Europa Galante is surely the most masterful Italian Baroque ensemble since the Italian Baroque, so the music is much better played than it deserves. For that reason, I'm stamping four stars of approval on the disk, so long as the buyer is forewarned about what she/he will be hearing.