Laura Antonaz, Roberto Balconi - Vivaldi: Musica Sacra (Sacred Music) (2012)

The vocal works collected on this disc qualify as obscure Vivaldi, but among the lessons taught over the last decade or so of Vivaldi recordings is that even the back of the composer's closet yields surprising riches. After the psalm setting Laudate pueri Dominum, RV 601, the listener is treated to four of Vivaldi's "Introduzione" or Introductions -- short works for solo voice (female in Vivaldi's case) and ensemble that precede the performance of a larger choral work. Violinist and annotator Vania Pedronetto reflects quite a bit on the surroundings of the young Vivaldi (the Introduzione are thought to be early works), but has disappointingly little to say about the genre itself, which will be unfamiliar to most listeners. The surprises in these works revolve around the spectacular, operatic vocal writing for the soprano or alto soloist. This is the kind of music that resides near the limits of a well-trained performer's abilities. Sample track 3, the "A solis ortu" movement of Laudate pueri Dominum, and listen for the acrobatic leaps demanded from soprano Laura Antonaz at the end. This will give you an idea of both the strengths and the weaknesses of this recording. Antonaz is perhaps the kind of singer more beloved by musicians than by audiences; she has a powerful voice with a lot of texture, and she interacts elegantly with the musicians, producing feathery ornaments that duplicate their instrumental counterparts in a lively way. She generally handles whatever vocal hurdles Vivaldi throws her way. Her instrument is also a bit too large for this sacred chamber music, and she tends to camp out slightly on the flat side of the pitch. Countertenor Roberto Balconi also has a big, operatic voice. Vivaldi was writing for young women at the all-girl orphanage where he was employed, most assuredly not for the muscular voice of the male castrato, and not really for the mature soprano voice of Antonaz, either. The interpretations led by Pedronetto bring out inner voices and musical details admirably, and the goal of featuring singers with strong, distinct personalities is a good one in theory. Hear as much of this unusual Vivaldi as you can before committing cash or credit card -- listener reactions to the grain of the voice are subjective, and will be unusually so in this case. But you may in the end suspect that these singers weren't quite what Vivaldi had in mind.