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Though the baroque instruments don't have the depth and richness of their modern counterparts, they have a charm and beauty of their own, and these sonatas are a treat, and a change from the often heard Vivaldi concertos. He wrote over a 100 sonatas, but they don't get performed or recorded often, and in this CD, you get 3 of them played to perfection.
The C major sonata RV 779 wasn't discovered until the mid 1970's, and is my favorite of the Vivaldi pieces on this CD. It has a large part for organ (played by John Toll), as well as one for the tenor chalumeau (played by Colin Lawson), which is a single reed instrument related to the early clarinet.
Despite the information given on the amazon CD listings, the A major RV 59 and G minor RV 58, which were once thought to be authored by Vivaldi, are actually the work of Nicolas Chedeville, a Parisian composer and musette player. These are delightful pieces, and match the loveliness of the Vivaldi compositions...in fact, the G minor sonata just might be the choice piece on this CD.
Paul Goodwin is one of the world's great oboe virtuosos...he specializes in repertoire that spans the 17th through the 19th centuries, and he's an expert in period instruments. If you like baroque music, I'm sure you'll enjoy this delightful CD.
Top reviews from other countries
Adam August Zbyszewski
Beautiful Vivaldi album from first-class performers
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 1, 2021
M. S. Windisch
Glorious Vivaldi
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 15, 2017