Giuliano Carmignola, Venice Baroque Orchestra & Andrea Marcon - Vivaldi: 5 Violin Concertos (2006)

Nobody would accuse violinist Giuliano Carmignola, harpsichordist and conductor Andrea Marcon, or the Venice Baroque Orchestra of softness or sentimentality. In this 2006 recording of five violin concertos by Vivaldi, no trace of vibrato or portamento touches their bows and even crescendos are treated as if contagious. Carmignola tears into the works with the kind of ardor most violinists reserve for Paganini, and Marcon and the Venetian orchestra treat these works as if Vivaldi's concertos were on the same aesthetic level as Bach's concertos. Unlike some period instrument ensembles, which sound as if they miss modern instruments, the Venice Baroque Orchestra sounds born to the world of flat necks and cat gut strings. These are extremely expressive performances, marked by shifts of dynamics and incandescent playing, and ultimately they could be considered among the most exciting performances of Vivaldi concertos ever recorded. Carmignola's exuberant finger glissando at the close of the C major Concerto could send a chill down your spine. Archiv's sound is crisp, clean, and colorful.