Customer Reviews

Vivaldi Edition Operas, Vol. 1

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

 

 

I'm not ready to review these performances, except to say that they are uniformly brilliant, not all by the same ensembles, and quite a lot more expensive if purchased separately.
The nine operas included on the 27 CDs are:

L'Orlando finto pazzo, RV 727
Juditha triumphans, RV 645
Tito Manlio, RV 738 (currently my favorite)
La verità in cimento, RV 739
Orlando furioso, RV 728
L'Atenaide, RV 702
Il Farnace, RV 711
L'Olimpiade, RV 725
Griselda, RV 718

The 28th disk in the box is a DVD documenting the whole production concept. If you want a preview of the singing quality, I suggest you go to youtube and search for some of the singers - Jaroussky, Piau, Lemieux for starters - and conductor Jean-Cristophe Spinosi.

Completely agree with other reviews about the faulty packaging, the foam circles wear easily and once a CD is removed for the first time and replaced, it never fits snugly back in. The result is that CD's can easily fall out. This is too bad because other than that, this box set is an absolute dream!

I would still highly recommend it, as someone who adores listening to Vivaldi (especially his operas). All of the performances are virtuosic, the conducting is brilliant, the sound is superb - everything is first class. You won't regret your purchase, even if you pay a mint for it, like I did.

Looking forward to another edition. My only advice to Naive would be to please improve the functionality of the packaging, the rest of the design itself and everything else was breathtaking. Bonus points for whomever thought of the hot, Schiaparelli pink font on the front cover.

The previous reviewer is accurate that the singing on these sets is wonderful, but the discs come in a large slip case that is meant to be opulent. However, the discs are held in place with foam circles. Once you take a disc out of the set, the foam circles do not hold the discs firmly in. They move in the packaging. They can easily be damaged by accident. It was a seemingly good idea and the packaging looks nice, but a customer is better getting them individually or in a different kind of packaging.