La Stravaganza: Vol 1

performance & recording quality is outstanding:
I'm just your average classical music fan, I'm no expert, but I am always blown away when I listen to this CD. Without hesitation I rank it as the best classical CD I own. It seems that both the performance and the recording quality are way above average. Very lively and exciting. The violins are present and sweet without ever screeching or sounding harsh. The bass tones of cellos and organ are super-rich. When the whole ensemble hits chords that harmonize, it fills the room with a lush rich sound. Words fail, but its almost like I'm inside each of the instruments. Sorry to gush so much about this recording, but it really stands out among the 100 or more classical CDs in my collection.

Earth to Giacomo C.--what recording did you listen to?:
Just a note to correct the impression Giacomo C. might have left with someone. He doesn't know what he's talking about. I haven't a clue what recording he listened to, but it's not the same one I listened to..that I'm listening to now. This is period playing that's right up-to-date. Not as nuanced as Concerto Italian at their best, nor as witty as Europa Galante and Fabio Biondi...but to call this stuffy playing is completely wrong. Completely. Wrong. I dunno what Giacomo listened to, but it wasn't this. Podger has some real flair, the ensemble has fine, stylish conception of the music. This is music that was distinctly experimental for its time (1717, for crying out loud! Telemann's Tafelmusik was 20 years away), and while I might wish for a little more sly wit here and there, there are some wonderful effects here, some brilliant ensemble playing--love the plucked instruments in the continuo! Perfect!--the total impression is 5-stars PLUS! The Huggett recording was all we had for a long time, thanfully it eclipsed the old ASMF recording completely, which was dated even in its time, and is almost unlistenable now. This new recording from Podger makes Huggett and Hogwood sound boring, alas. Hard to be boring in this music too, but, time marches on. At the time Huggett did her recording period style was still experiencing growing pains. I'm sure she'd have a different approach now. It'd be great if Europa Galante or Concerto Italiano, or Hesperion XXI would record this music, but until they do--and even when they do--this recording by Podger and her spectacular-sounding Polish period ensemble is right up there with the best Vivaldi-playing available on CD.

Cortoddzo!!:
I consider myself a first year violinist. I wouldn't even be able to sit in the same room with this person, I'm that bad. Can you even fathom the fingering skills? OMG. She plays the violin like a medical transcriptionist, burning up the strings. Antonio Vivaldi is played with tremendous fervor and magnificent intenation! It's not opera, or 'a couple little violin solos'. It's not pushing agendas, politics, cultures, etc. This is 'meaty violin'. No problems. Dig in! This is a (2) CD collection. The second CD is slower, but it's like staring at someone that speaks Australian for hours...I still can't get the nostalgia out of my mind. I'm stuck. Warning for the non-student: Rachel Podger is so amazing, hour after hour, you'll take her for granted if you just don't get it. (Recall Bible verse - pearls to swine.) If you have any concept of the time and effort it takes to do this, you'll be in awe. If you don't have any respect for the instrument, just don't go there. Try the more contemporary Danney Alkana, "Rock the Bach". Me - I want to know if she's still single. Whoohoo!

poor sound quality:
I found that the level of sound distortion of this recording made it unlistenable. I put it on twice and couldn't get through five minutes of it.

Stunning Vivaldi:
I endorse Andres Sender's review of this superb recording, so I only feel a need to add a few thoughts. Vivaldi's Opus 4, "La Straviganza" was published very soon after his historic Opus 3, "L'estro Armonico". There is no need to worry about translating its title, the Italian "La Straviganza" is perfect. Although there are almost too many recordings of Vivaldi's other works Opus 4 has been strangely ignored, there was a 1975 version by the Academy of St Martins in the Field, which was highly praised at the time, one by Huggett with the Academy of Ancient Music in 1987 which I missed, it was easy to do before we had the internet, and a poor one from Naxos. So I grabbed this one on release without even hearing it, and what a wonderful surprise it was. It is a superb recording, Rachel Podger's performance is energetic and intensely expressive and Arte Dei Suonatori provide excellent support, the use of two plucked instruments give the sound a nice lushness. I could go on and on with a list of superlatives, but I will just say that this is a cracking performance, anyone with an interest in baroque should see this two CD set as an essential. Five stars. A few comments on Andres review; I, too regard the fabulous Fabio Biondi with Europa Galante as the best interpreter of Vivaldi we have, while this recording is different in style it is very, very good. I also have reservations about Andrew Manze as a soloist, but he has made some very good recordings leading his ensemble from first violin.