home > browse > cd-feature > view article

CD Feature/ Vivaldi: "Sacred Music 2"

  Tobias

They called him the „red priest“ and now you know why. For, besides his plentiful secular works, Vivaldi was an adept master of sacred music as well. Not that this versatility comes as a surprise from a man who firmly put his mark on the music scene of his time, who was a famous celebrity with fans among regular listeners and equally renowned colleagues – and a real-life priest to boot. With this second collection of religious pieces on Naxos, the spiritual journey continues.

The first thing you’ll notice is that, at least on the bare surface, there’s not all too much of a difference between his sacred and secular compositions. Again, we are treated to colourful ambiances, catchy melodies, the duality of bittersweet beauty and overjoyed ecstasy, as well as a meticulous interaction between the various instruments. And again, the ease and flow of these tracks remain absolutely singular and beyond compare. Vivaldi had some highly inventive ideas on arrangements, which makes the music sound extremely “modern” even to contemporary ears: Sometimes, pieces lean on a very open and weightless sound of the violins without any additional accompaniment, creating a sensation of emptiness. On another occasion, he rhythmises vocals in a fashion similar to HipHop, with a metronomic beat and powerful accentuation. Which is why you can listen to this disc from the beginning to the end without ever feeling bored. The slender but yet mucular sound of Aradia Ensemble surely helps and singers Tracy Smith Bessette and Marion Newman have concentrated on creating ambiance instead of pomp. Underneath, of course, there is a lot to discover even for the Vivaldi-fan who thought he had and knew it all: Mournful moods, overt sadness, dragging chord changes and more variation in form.

You’ll recognise some of the themes and motives from other pieces – not unusual for a man who lived from delivering his music on a weekly basis. But complaining about that would be beside the point: These recordings definitely make you feel as though they were intended especially for them. After all, the man whom they called the red priest may well be expected to lay a special emphasis on his sacred music.

By Tobias Fischer

Homepage: Naxos Records