Collegium Musicum 90, Simon Standage - Vivaldi: String Concertos, Vol. 1 (1999) CD-Rip

This is a highly distinctive album in the mountain of Vivaldi CDs. The works come from a manuscript in the library of the Paris Conservatory that is thought to have been originally presented to a French nobleman. It is thought that only two of the concertos were new, while the other 10 were chosen from those Vivaldi had on hand. Whatever the truth of this, this set of concertos represents a highly winning, perhaps more subtle aspect of Vivaldi's style than one usually comes in contact with. The works are scored for strings, although Standage doubles them with winds occasionally, as was period practice. The works represent an older style of the Italian Concerto, having something in common with Torelli. There is hardly any spotlighting of solo instruments--the argument is carried by the massed sections of strings. The performances hardly could be bettered. The Collegium Musicum 90 makes a tangy sound, not steely like so many period instrument groups. Tempos are never rushed, and everything sounds very natural. Chandos's sound engineering, as usual, is excellent. Unless you cling to the belief that Vivaldi wrote one concerto 400 times, you should find this album very appealing.