Vivaldi: Gloria; Bach: Magnificat

Stephen Powell (Performer), Johann Sebastian Bach (Composer), Antonio Vivaldi (Composer), Martin Pearlman (Conductor), Boston Baroque (Performer), Deanne Meek (Performer), Tamara Matthews (Performer), Don Frazure (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Stephen Powell, Boston Baroque, Deanne Meek, Tamara Matthews, Don Frazure
• Conductor: Martin Pearlman
• Composer: Johann Sebastian Bach, Antonio Vivaldi
• Audio CD (January 24, 2006)
• SPARS Code: DDD
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Telarc
• ASIN: B000CRR3KG
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 2.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #400,255 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Fine authentic instruments crushed by Soloists, February 18, 2006

By 

Teop Tnomrev "Goodpuppy" (Vermont, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Vivaldi: Gloria; Bach: Magnificat (Audio CD)

As with his recording of Dido, Pearlman's instruments may be authentic, but he instructs or allows his soloists to belt out their lines with all the tact of opera in the full throes of Wagner. For those who swoon at the sound of the full throttled, warbling operatic voice, this is the recording for you, otherwise, stay far, far away.

The voices entirely overpower any sense of ensemble -- which is to say, the "authentic instruments" are thoroughly dominated by the soloists.

Besides that, these performances really add nothing new. They are conventional in every sense of the word.

2.0 out of 5 stars Tube recording. Don't spend your money and time on this CD, January 28, 2011

By 

capezio "capezio" (Vitoria, ES Brazil) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Vivaldi: Gloria; Bach: Magnificat (Audio CD)

My interest on this CD grown as I listened to it's samples on Amazon and considered it's low price and nice classic repertoire.

Listening to it as soon as the CD arrived my expectations have changed and I don't recommend it.

Martin Pearlman have received some accolades for some of his readings and he has a good team of players.

For the Vivaldi he used a reduced choral group and a small ensemble with gut strings.

The Vivaldi reading is good but not the best around. I recommend you to get Vittorio Negri's readings with the John Aldis Choir. They are reference on Vivaldi choral music (on redbook CD) but with a great sound.

The Bach Magnificat is not good and the first track of the piece shows that the group isn't in the mood to praise God for the promise of the Redemptor incarnation. You should go to Gardiner with the Monteverdi Choir that, although a redbook CD, is far better technically and have a nice spacious sound.

The worse on this CD is the recording.

It's difficult to understand why Telarc mastered it as we are listening to the group through a great tube. There is no sound stage and the volume is very low, as we are listen to the players singing in a kind of a bathroom-acoustics.

I have some SACD, some other 300 CD and I'm comparing the sound played on a Magnepan 3.6R planar speaker.

I even didn't't listen to the complete CD and I'm just thinking on someone to give it to.

Don't spend your money on this, try the options listed, they are far better.

4 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Yeah, not so good., August 15, 2006

By 

DAK (Tucson, AZ United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Vivaldi: Gloria; Bach: Magnificat (Audio CD)

I'll give it some points for good recorded sound, but the performance really isn't what I was looking for. Some of the soloists aren't bad, but one at least (in the Bach exsultavit movement) sounds just amateurish. Not to mention a one oboe line where the player is essentially inaudible except for the dissonant note in the melody, making it sound like a really bad mistake. I'll stick with the Gardiner recording for now.