David Watkin - Vivaldi: The Complete Cello Sonatas (2010) CD-Rip

This 2-CD set puts together Vivaldi's all nine surviving cello sonatas. Vivaldi may have composed more sonatas for cello for all we know, but this is all we have left. And it is a wonderful legacy, although less known than his violin concertos, for example. Compared with the violin concertos, many of which sound rather run-off-the-mill, these sonatas sound more thoughtful and meditative. Maybe Vivaldi did not feel the need to emphasize virtuosity to the extent he was prone to do with the violin concertos (as he was an acknowlegded master of that instrument himself), but was able to compose in a more relaxed manner and, as a result, put more consideration into the act of composition than was usual for him (this is not to imply that Vivaldi was careless with his other works, however). The result is a series of compositions that certainly do not sound like typical Vivaldi.

Like the violin concertos, the sonatas follow a pattern in the tempo markings of their movements; here it is slow-fast-slow-fast (compared with the concertos' fast-slow-fast). The instrumentation used on this recording is a bit of a guesswork, as it is not known exactly which instruments Vivaldi intended with the term "basso"; so these musicians use a variety of instruments, which were popular in Vivaldi's time, such as chamber organ, cello, harpsichord, archlute, Baroque guitar, and theorbo - to a magnificent effect.

The recording is excellent. David Watkin produces a very warm and beautiful tone from his instrument, and the ensemble responds beautifully. You actually hear a lot of noises issuing from Watkin's playing, like hisses and scrapings of the bow. However, here they do not sound the least bit intrusive, as they rather form an integral part of the listening experience, like when listening to a live performance. Moreover, here the players are in no hurry to scamper through the fast movements, like in some recent recordings of Baroque music, but each movement is given sufficient time to unfold.

This reissued CD (the original recording is from 1993) is then to be highly recommended. It is certainly the best bargain currently on the market considering Vivaldi's complete cello sonatas.