Artist: Elin Manahan Thomas, Florilegium
Album: Antonio Vivaldi – Sacred Works for Soprano and Concertos
Genre: Classical
Release Date: 2011
Audio Format:: FLAC (tracks) 24bit, 192 kHz
Duration: 58:56
Total Tracks: 25
Total Size: 1,92 GB

Tracklist:

1. Florilegium – Concerto Madrigalesco RV 129; I. Adagio (00:57)
2. Florilegium – II. Allegro (01:38)
3. Florilegium – III. Adagio (00:50)
4. Florilegium – IV. Allegro molto moderato (01:10)
5. Florilegium – Laudate pueri RV 601; I. Laudate pueri Dominum (03:24)
6. Florilegium – II. Sit nomen Domini (02:32)
7. Florilegium – III. A solis ortu (03:51)
8. Florilegium – IV. Excelsus super omnes (03:01)
9. Florilegium – V. Suscitans (02:19)
10. Florilegium – VI. Ut collocet eum (01:46)
11. Florilegium – VII. Gloria Patri (04:02)
12. Florilegium – VIII. Sicut erat in principio (01:00)
13. Florilegium – IX. Amen (02:10)
14v. Florilegium – Il Gran Mogul RV 431a; I. Allegro non molto (03:37)
15. Florilegium – II. Larghetto (02:10)
16. Florilegium – III. Allegro (02:24)
17. Florilegium – Motet Nulla in mundo RV 630; I. Aria – Larghetto (05:54)
18. Florilegium – II. Recitativo (01:06)
19. Florilegium – III. Aria – Allegro (03:18)
20. Florilegium – IV. Alleluia – Allegro (02:07)
21. Florilegium – Concerto in B-flat RV 547; I. Allegro (04:18)
22. Florilegium – II. Andante (01:47)
23. Florilegium – III. Allegro molto (03:24)

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This very attractive release from Channel Classics features the terrific British period instrument ensemble Florilegium in performances of three Vivaldi concertos and two sacred vocal works. The group plays without a conductor and the players’ shapely unanimity of phrasing and nuanced expressiveness give the performances the character of chamber music. It sidesteps the metric squareness that can plague performances of Vivaldi and let the music breathe and surge organically. The strings have the slight tartness of Baroque instruments and the overall sound of the orchestra has an appealing burnished sheen. This is relatively obscure repertoire and includes a flute concerto that was only discovered in 2010 and is recorded here for the first time, played beautifully by Ashley Solomon, the artistic director of Florilegium.