Track Listing

Disc 1:

1. "Gloria in excelsis Deo"
2. "Et in terra pax"
3. "Laudamus te"
4. "Gratias agimus tibi"
5. "Domine Deus"
6. "Domine Fili unigenite"
7. "Domine Deus, Agnus Dei"
8. "Qui tollis peccata mundi"
9. "Qui sedes ad dexteram Patris"
10. "Quoniam tu solus sanctus"
11. "Cum Sancto Spiritu"
12. Gloria In Excelsis Deo
13. Et In Terra Pax Hominibus
14. Laudamus Te
15. Gratias Agimus Tibi
16. Propter Magnam Gloriam
17. Domine Deus
18. Domine Fili Unigenite
19. Domine Deus, Agnus Dei
20. Qui Tollis Peccata Mundi
21. Qui Sedes Ad Dexteram
22. Quoniam Tu Solus Sanctus
23. Cum Sancto Spiritu

Disc 2:

1. "Magnificat... et exultavit"
2. "Et misericordia"
3. "Fecit potentiam... Deposuit potentes"
4. "Esurientes"
5. "Suscepit Israel... sicut locutus est"
6. "Gloria"
7. Dixit Dominus
8. Donec Ponam
9. Virgam Virtutis
10. Tecum Principium
11. Juravit Dominus
12. Dominus a Dextris
13. Judicabit in Nationibus
14. De Torrente
15. Gloria Patri
16. Sicut erat
17. "Beatus vir"
18. "Potens in terra"
19. "Gloria et divitiae"
20. "Exortum est in tenebris"
21. "Jucundus homo"
22. "In momoria aeterna"
23. "Paratum cor eius"
24. "Peccator videbit"
25. "Gloria Patri"

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #114654 in Music
• Released on: 1995-02-14
• Number of discs: 2

Customer Reviews

Welcome introdution to neglected part of Vivaldi's oeuvre.
Vivaldi's sacred music is not so famous as that of his contemporaries Bach and Handel, so this is a bargain opportunity to catch up. You might think Vivaldi's playful, virtuoso Italianate character and Catholic context would produce radically different music, but in George Guest's urgent readings, the mixture of restrainedly exultant choruses and austerely beautiful arias are near-identical to Bach.

The opening movement of the second 'Gloria', with its swirling violins and temperately joyous trumpet and winds, is one of the most celebrated pieces of Baroque music; nothing here quite equals it, but there is a haunting, echoing quality to some of the slower movements at odds with the generally celebratory form. The reverb-heavy production exploits this somtimes too much, making the sound seem artificial. For a more 'Italianate' interpretation, I would recommend Trevor Pinnock, whose caressing tempos allow Vivaldi's warm harmonic spaciousness to breathe.

Perhaps it's just me....
The sound quality of this recording is stunning and the soloists sing beautifully. I love these pieces, and the presentation is generally thrilling on this CD set. However, as authentic as they may be, I have a serious problem listening to the voices of young boys singing. The possibility of any genuine emotion or spirituality lurking behind the angelic chiming is lost on me. Also, the kids seem slightly heavy in the mix, at times drowning the music.... I realize this may be a bit shallow, and I do not discourage anyone from buying this CD if they don't mind the sound of a children's choir. It's really quite accomplished sounding, just not to my personal taste.

A Glorious Recording
Being already familiar with Vivaldi's Four Seasons and also a big fan of Choral works, I picked this up not knowing anything about the pieces and was pleasantly surprised. Two versions of Gloria in D major take up the first disk. RV 589, the second version of Gloria is the better known of the two versions, but I wouldn't say that it is superior. Both versions have their merits and I enjoy listening to them back to back. The second disk is my favorite. Although I bought it for the Glorias, I have fallen in love with the Magnificat in G major. This two-disc set is, in my opinion, all about the Magnificat. What a wonderful piece! Dixit Dominus and Beatur vir are both great pieces as well. This is a great recording and the music within in excellent.