Category: Reviews

A recording of the complete sacred music of Antonio Vivaldi is a welcome prospect, not least because it offers an opportunity to go beyond the fame and familiarity of Vivaldiís concertos and the ubiquitous ìGloria.î

A friend who bought this issue grumbled that Dynamic had swindled him out off his money as the whitewashed, less than sharp picture quality is not much better than the pirate issue he once received from a correspondent.

The back of this DG set relates that the company made the recording “in Modena in conjunction with a series of performances in Italy and Germany.”

Decca/London was somewhat earlier with their series ëClassic Recitalsí and now Deutsche Gramophon is following without that title.

Though this La Vestale is sung in its original French, it strikes me as rather odd that the contents in the sleeve notes nevertheless still employs the Italian names Licinio and Giulia.

As rare as it may be to hear Gounodís Faust in Bulgarian, the language differences soon pass in a good performance, especially one that includes a live performance of the bass Nicolai Ghiaurov from the prime of his performing career.

My father was a small bit player in an amateur operetta company from 1947 till 1963 when the company folded.

Those familiar with Antoni Wit’s fine recording of Mahler’s Eighth Symphony will have encountered some Polish singers in the solo parts, and among them is the baritone Wojtek Drabowicz.