Track Listing

1. Gloria In D: Gloria in excelsis Deo
2. Gloria In D: Et in terra pax hominibus
3. Gloria In D: Laudermus te
4. Gloria In D: Gratias agimus tibi-Propter magnam gloriam
5. Gloria In D: Domine Deus, Rex coelestis
6. Gloria In D: Domine Fili unigente
7. Gloria In D: Domine Deus, Agnus Dei
8. Gloria In D: Que tollis peccata mundi
9. Gloria In D: Qui sedes ad dexteram Patris
10. Gloria In D: Quoniam tu solus sanctus
11. Gloria In D: Cum Sancto Spiritu
12. Dixit Dominus in D: Dixit Dominus
13. Dixit Dominus in D: Donec ponam inimicos tuos
14. Dixit Dominus in D: Tecum principium
15. Dixit Dominus in D: Juravit Dominus-Tu es sacerdos
16. Dixit Dominus in D: Dominus a dextris tuis
17. Dixit Dominus in D: Judicabit in nationibus-Implebit ruinas
18. Dixit Dominus in D: De torrente
19. Dixit Dominus in D: Gloria
20. Dixit Dominus in D: Sicut erat in principio
21. Magnificat in G minor: Magnificat
22. Magnificat in G minor: El exultavit
23. Magnificat in G minor: Et misericordia
24. Magnificat in G minor: Fecit potentiam
25. Magnificat in G minor: Deposuit
26. Magnificat in G minor: Esurientes
27. Magnificat in G minor: Suscepit Israel
28. Magnificat in G minor: Sicut locutus
29. Magnificat in G minor: Gloria

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #31831 in Music
• Released on: 2002-05-07
• Number of discs: 1

Customer Reviews

Stellar Chorale Work on Vivaldi's Sacred Masterworks
Recorded in 2001 and released the following year, this is a lovely, clean recording of Vivaldi's three most famous sacred works for choral ensembles. The Cambridge's Choir of King's College, alongside the Academy of Ancient Music led by Stephen Cleobury, moves through each vital movement with appropriate fluidity and passion. With its familiar grandiose opening, the "Gloria" makes a strong impression here simply because the choir and orchestra perform it with enthusiasm and energy capturing the life-affirming spirit of the piece. Countertenor Michael Chance is a particular standout on his two mellifluous solos, "Domine Deus, Agnus Dei" and "Qui sedes ad dexteram Patris" with affecting dramatic shading. The "Dixit Dominus" is equally enthralling with particular harmonic splendor provided by sopranos Sarah Fox and Deborah Norman on "Virgam Virtutis tuae" and tenor James Gilchrist and bass-baritone Jonathan Lemalu on "Dominus a dextris tuis".

The last vocal work here is the latest of several adaptations Vivaldi made of the "Magnificat" which he had originally written for the Pietà, probably during the early 18th century. The arias are sung with expressive character with the best movements provided by Fox and Norman in their assured approach on the cadenza in their "Esurientes" and a brief trio by Norman, Chance and Lemalu on "Sicut locutus est". The singing of the five soloists couldn't be more accomplished, but it's the spirited grandeur of the choir that most pervasively captures Vivaldi's irrepressible spirit. This recording is one to treasure as the vocal and instrumental ensembles meld perfectly. If Vivaldi's religious music brings you enjoyment, I also recommend Fabio Biondi's 2004 release, "Vivaldi: Motets", which features stunning vocal work from soprano Patrizia Ciofi and his 2002 collaboration with equally stellar work from countertenor David Daniels on "Vivaldi: Stabat Mater, Nisi Dominus, Longe Mala". All three recordings are strongly recommended.

a voice teacher and early music fan
A VIBRANT AND VIGOROUS VIVALDI SUNG WITH VITALITY BY THE KING'S COLLEGE CHOIR AND SELECTED SOLOISTS!
Although an ordained priest, Antonio Vivaldi(1678-1741) made his musical reputation largely outside the church. Besides his 500-odd concertos and 45 operas, his surviving corpus of sacred vocal music, amounting to just over fifty works, appears slim.

Vivaldi's sacred music may be divided into works with a liturgical text and precise function, such as the "GLORIA", and occasional, non-liturgical pieces. All three works on this recording are conceived on a grand scale, and would have graced important feast days in the Church calendar. The well known Gloria has eleven movements(not the same number on all recordings) including choruses and two soprano solos and one alto solo. It opens with an energetic opening chorus and closes at the other end of the emotional spectrum with a beautiful meditative alto solo "Domine Deus, Agnus Dei"; a triumph of musical economy as far removed from the convoluted vocal style of his operas as Vivaldi ever ventured. However, it is his theatrical flare that really sets the work alight!

The "DIXIT DOMINUS" is the grandest of the settings recorded here and one of Vivaldi's masterpieces. It belongs to a group of works which may have been written for the convent church of San Lorenzo in Venice. These 10 pieces were unusually ambitious: Vivaldi often calls for double choir and double orchestra, and he is keen to impress with the virtuosity of the solos and the contrapuntal ingenuity of the choruses.

The uniqueness of the "MAGNIFICAT" with its nine movements is a work more concise than the previous two,but it shares with them the highly successful method of involving the Orchestra in the graphic illustration of the text.

The performance by the Choir of King's College is first rate and the soloists are of the highest quality. They are: Sarah Fox and Deborah Norman,sopranos-Michael Chance,countertenor-James Gilchrist,tenor-Jonathan Lemalu,bass, who all sing with the skill and finesee that is expected from experienced singers of this genre.

The Choir displays beautifully and expressively molded phrases, mega text sensitivity and performs in a stylistically correct manner. The soaring voices of the trebles paired with the warm sound of the strings combined with very clear articulation from the winds, particularly the trumpet and oboe, comes together with glorious sonority!. This Choir seldom fails to please.

High Points, and Low Points.
Nothing beats authentic instruments for Baroque music. The ensemble here plays wonderfully well. Nice, crisp sound to help keep it light. I also thought the soprano sang beautifully. Normally, a boys' choir mixed with men's voices, soprano solo, and light orchestra (as in Duruflé's Requiem, chamber orchestral version) sounds terrific.

Here, however, the boys serve as a distraction. They are constantly slurring up to the note, as if they had been instructed to sing in that manner. I stomached it for as long as I could. I think that perhaps, for these Baroque pieces, I would prefer to hear a men's and women's chorus, as in Handel's Messiah. Luckily, these works of Vivaldi are quite popular, so I'll just have to be diligent in my search.