Monica Huggett, London Vivaldi Orchestra - Vivaldi: Violin Concertos (1993)

Vivaldi's violin concertos, of which some 500 appear to be extant, were first written to showcase the composer's virtuosity on the violin, and so it is no wonder that this small selection of four concertos puts Monica Huggett in the limelight, her sweet violin tone generally dominating proceedings, although not altogether to the exclusion of the London Vivaldi Orchestra and its leader Roy Goodman. The result is an entertaining and enjoyable tour down the bye-ways of Vivaldi's career as a composer: no-one who hears this music would dare to repeat the old adage that Vivaldi wrote the same concerto five hundred times! Most impressive is the Tempesta del Mare, a real sea-storm, with vibrant tempi and a radiant soloist - I feel I rather prefer this version to the one Monica Huggett later recorded for Virgin Classics with the Raglan Baroque Players. But the other three concertos also have their own distinctive characters and certainly could not be confused with anything from the "Four Seasons". L'Amoroso, in particular, lives up to its title perfectly, with some "lovely" violin playing to match the mood. In fact, the only drop of wormwood here is the brevity of the recording, some 43 minutes - at full price, that is decidedly stingy.