Customer Reviews

La Stravaganza: Vol 1

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Rachel Podger is a unique talent, an exceedingly expressive player with an emotionally immediate presence who is at the same time not self-indulgent or wild. Ms. Podger digs deeply and thoughtfully into the music to bring out the maximum of expression through her own especially flexible and articulated approach to the vocabulary of the baroque violin. Her expression occurs within a discipline of respecting the structure and boundaries of the music itself. She remains a highly objective communicator even while seeking to pull as much feeling from the music as she can.

I'm a huge Rachel Podger fan, but I bought this new CD with some hesitation. I'd been rather floored by Fabio Biondi's interpretations of Vivaldi and I wasn't sure Ms. Podger's strengths would come through with as much impact. I was concerned since in the past Ms. Podger's unique playing style has sometimes seemed to fade when she plays with an orchestra-her Bach recording with A. Manze was disappointing this way, somehow she seemed a bit held back. (Unlike the reviewer above I don't find any similarity between Manze and Podger, indeed despite Manze's seemingly universal appeal, I can't like his playing, for me there is something insincere and mannered in all his pyrotechnics, whereas Ms. Podger always seems deeply and sincerely in the heart of the music.)

I should not have worried. Rachel Podger has outdone herself. She has taken these Vivaldi pieces and infused them with her own brand of detailed sumptuous playing, reveling in the music in a sensual, joyous way that at times outdistances even some of her solo Bach performances for sheer musical fluidity and agility. The fact that she has been able so fully to express her unique playing in the context of working with an orchestra is quite an achievement and step forward, and the result is especially exciting. So exciting, in fact, that even in the slow movements I found myself energized and exhilarated by the superlatively managed tension between highly expressive playing and a rigorous overall sense of meter and truth to the music.

The orchestra itself is surprisingly good ('surprising' only in that I hadn't heard of them before), supporting and opposing Ms. Podger very well. The only thing one might quibble about is the overall texture, which is a bit round and smooth and unified, not quite as transparent as I would have preferred--more along the lines of Carmignola/Venice Baroque (whose interpretations have yet to grab me) than of Biondi/Europa Galante. This is of course an exceedingly minor quibble, as the overall impression is of an orchestra perfectly able and willing to match Ms. Podger's approach to the music and intertwine itself with her playing. With Ms. Podger's playing at its best, magnified and underlined by a willing orchestra, this CD is a `must have' for Podger-lovers, Vivaldi-lovers, and period-performance-lovers, and it would be a great introduction for the merely curious.

On first try, this set knocked me on my hinder. This is Vivaldi played with the kind of swing and gusto that one now easily imagines might be close to the true performance norm in the 17th and 18th Centuries [there's a long argument in there that would take up too much space--but merely recall the daring and exuberance of design and the arts of those times). I think the age of somewhat bland or academically correct Baroque playing is finally over. This is music I'm almost too familiar with; and each piece here sounded new and fresh, but in an unconscious, spontaneous way that didn't cause me to wince at all at the possible oddities and (what otherwise might be called)"mannerisms." If Podger is following her instincts--and in an informed manner--then she's on a good path.

The recording is very much in-your-face but I've played the CDs both on a decent system and on a cheap boom-box and they sounded great on either. The engineering and miking are such that they may strain at less benevolent sound reproduction systems, but again, they sounded swell on the boom box.

I am getting perplexed though by these bizarre one and two star reviews I've been encountering of these newer recordings and performances. Everyone's entitled to an opinion, but THESE opinions (which also turn up repeatedly on nearly anything Manze does) are so resolutely wayward that I almost wonder if they're jokes. Someone might legitimately call Manze's or Podger's playing kooky or over-the-top but to describe,as one reviewer here does, this recording as a reversion to older style performance practices, or saying the fiddling is boring or unemotional (a common complaint of a Manze "stalker-reviewer") is, to be blunt, just plain crazy itself.

Further (and I've commented on this in other reviews) if all major professional reviewers, and the bulk of the Amazon reviewers, aren't having problems with the engineering, and YOU are, maybe instead of delivering a pouty two-star review complaining about bad sound, you might have your stereo, your ears, and maybe even your @!%$! head examined. Last time I caught someone doing this I checked through his reviews and in one he admitted to owning an "inexpensive portable system" that played his pop LP's (!) "just fine." His one-star review succeeded in significantly lowering the average rating for an excellent but review-light recording. That's irresponsible.

I'm also getting sick and tired of the lone "What's the big deal?" one-or-two star reviewer. The big deal, dear reviewer, is that thousands of people are loving this recording and you aren't. I wouldn't advertise that embarrassing fact, unless you can back up your bad attitude with one very comprehensive, informed, and, hope-upon-hope, entertaining argument. These pointless reviews are invariably only one or two sentences long and contain no argument whatsoever. These are the kinds of opinions that should be restricted to restroom walls.

Just a note to correct the impression Giacomo C. might have left with someone. He doesn't know what he's talking about. I haven't a clue what recording he listened to, but it's not the same one I listened to..that I'm listening to now.

This is period playing that's right up-to-date. Not as nuanced as Concerto Italian at their best, nor as witty as Europa Galante and Fabio Biondi...but to call this stuffy playing is completely wrong. Completely. Wrong. I dunno what Giacomo listened to, but it wasn't this.

Podger has some real flair, the ensemble has fine, stylish conception of the music. This is music that was distinctly experimental for its time (1717, for crying out loud! Telemann's Tafelmusik was 20 years away), and while I might wish for a little more sly wit here and there, there are some wonderful effects here, some brilliant ensemble playing--love the plucked instruments in the continuo! Perfect!--the total impression is 5-stars PLUS!

The Huggett recording was all we had for a long time, thanfully it eclipsed the old ASMF recording completely, which was dated even in its time, and is almost unlistenable now. This new recording from Podger makes Huggett and Hogwood sound boring, alas. Hard to be boring in this music too, but, time marches on. At the time Huggett did her recording period style was still experiencing growing pains. I'm sure she'd have a different approach now.

It'd be great if Europa Galante or Concerto Italiano, or Hesperion XXI would record this music, but until they do--and even when they do--this recording by Podger and her spectacular-sounding Polish period ensemble is right up there with the best Vivaldi-playing available on CD.

I'm just your average classical music fan, I'm no expert, but I am always blown away when I listen to this CD. Without hesitation I rank it as the best classical CD I own. It seems that both the performance and the recording quality are way above average. Very lively and exciting. The violins are present and sweet without ever screeching or sounding harsh. The bass tones of cellos and organ are super-rich. When the whole ensemble hits chords that harmonize, it fills the room with a lush rich sound. Words fail, but its almost like I'm inside each of the instruments. Sorry to gush so much about this recording, but it really stands out among the 100 or more classical CDs in my collection.

You may not recognize some of these concerti when you hear them in the hands of Rachel Podger. They're incredibly animated, and instantly render almost all other readings obsolete as being too, well, mannered! What opus of Vivaldi's could, out of all of them, tolerate (maybe even demand) to be played with a certain feral wildness? Probably La Stravaganza.

Podger's nailed these concerti pretty much to a "t" in my opinion, and the Arte dei Sounatori are up to the challenge as well. For you observers of the "new" Italian baroque, Rachel Podger comes in at about a 7.5 on the "Biondi-o-meter", which means she's not as manic as Fabio Biondi in the fast movements, but she's also much better (i.e., not so perfunctory) in the slow ones. By comparison, Pinnock's old Archiv set went a good part of the way there, but this set really goes the full distance. Great sound, and great price. Its now got to be the leader of available versions.

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT: In a moldy encrusted British country manor somewhere, the Baroque Benevolent Association will be collecting old copies of all those staid versions of Opus 4 played by (not to be named) English chamber groups. Their genteel attempts at Vivaldi have been cast into redundancy by this recording. Send your old copies without a return address. Brava, Rachel!

You may not recognize some of these concerti when you hear them in the hands of Rachel Podger. They're incredibly animated, and instantly render almost all other readings obsolete as being too, well, mannered! What opus of Vivaldi's could, out of all of them, tolerate (maybe even demand) to be played with a certain feral wildness? Probably La Stravaganza.

Podger's nailed these concerti pretty much to a "t" in my opinion, and the Arte dei Sounatori are up to the challenge as well. For you observers of the "new" Italian baroque, Rachel Podger comes in at about a 7.5 on the "Biondi-o-meter", which means she's not as manic as Fabio Biondi in the fast movements, but she's also much better (i.e., not so perfunctory) in the slow ones. By comparison, Pinnock's old Archiv set went a good part of the way there, but this set really goes the full distance. Great sound, and great price. Its now got to be the leader of available versions.

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT: In a moldy encrusted British country manor somewhere, the Baroque Benevolent Association will be collecting old copies of all those staid versions of Opus 4 played by (not to be named) English chamber groups. Their genteel attempts at Vivaldi have been cast into redundancy by this recording. Send your old copies without a return address. Brava, Rachel!

I endorse Andres Sender's review of this superb recording, so I only feel a need to add a few thoughts.
Vivaldi's Opus 4, "La Straviganza" was published very soon after his historic Opus 3, "L'estro Armonico". There is no need to worry about translating its title, the Italian "La Straviganza" is perfect. Although there are almost too many recordings of Vivaldi's other works Opus 4 has been strangely ignored, there was a 1975 version by the Academy of St Martins in the Field, which was highly praised at the time, one by Huggett with the Academy of Ancient Music in 1987 which I missed, it was easy to do before we had the internet, and a poor one from Naxos. So I grabbed this one on release without even hearing it, and what a wonderful surprise it was. It is a superb recording, Rachel Podger's performance is energetic and intensely expressive and Arte Dei Suonatori provide excellent support, the use of two plucked instruments give the sound a nice lushness. I could go on and on with a list of superlatives, but I will just say that this is a cracking performance, anyone with an interest in baroque should see this two CD set as an essential. Five stars.
A few comments on Andres review; I, too regard the fabulous Fabio Biondi with Europa Galante as the best interpreter of Vivaldi we have, while this recording is different in style it is very, very good. I also have reservations about Andrew Manze as a soloist, but he has made some very good recordings leading his ensemble from first violin.

Two month ago I was very surprised and astounded to find a very new recording of "La Stravaganza" (with Rachel Podger and the Baroque orchestra "Arte dei suonatori" . I new the Label "Channel classics" and Rachel Podger because I owned all her splendid works with the ensemble "Florilegium" dedicated to Telemann.

In my own point of view, never before so beautiful violon has ever been recorded in "La Stavanganza". Podger come near to Carmignola in the Vivaldian quintessence. Carmignola will have perhaps did better (he remains the champion of virtuosity in the solis violins of Vivaldi-Divox Antiqua-"Concerti per le sollenita"-absolutely outstanding) but Podger is superb here. She gives to the listener a rough sonority and a remakable energy which is suitable with baroque music(now).

"L'Arte suonatori",a Polish ensemble, plays vith great vivacity, fineness and spirit.

The only bemol(bad point) is the sound of the recording. This is an Hybrid album (SACD). The main problem (an it's extremely important for me) is about the clarity of the sound ot the orchestra. It's like the engineers muted violons and other instruments of the little orchestra (it's fun to have the rare pleasure to hear the harpsichord sometimes in the background noise...). Only sound of Podger emerge with full authority and splendid clarity.

But this music is so exciting and well-played. Very exciting and strange moments in this recording.

This CD is a very noteable recording of Vivaldi's La Stravaganza - 12 concertos for Violin and stringorchestra. Rachel Podger is playing with a creative energy just as you can expect from a real barock virtuos and with an orchestra playing with enthusiasm and great dynamic expression.
I realy recommend this CD for barock lovers.

Glorious, exciting music with great dynamics and sensitivity. Rachel Podger's playing is inspiring in its expressiveness and beauty. It is sublime. Arte dei Suonatori and Ms. Podger play wonderfully together with remarkable precision. The faster movements are fiery, the slower ones touch the emotions with their flowing, delicate rhythms. This is the first recording I have of Ms. Podger. It certainly won't be the last.