Europa Galante, Fabio Biondi - Vivaldi: Concerti per mandolini, Concerti com molti strumenti (2002) CD-Rip

For fans of the classical mandolin, here is a disc of the best works for the instrument by Antonio Vivaldi, the best friend the mandolin ever had. And for the rest of the world, here is a disc of colorful Baroque concertos by Antonio Vivaldi, the best friend the Baroque concerto ever had. After all, Vivaldi may have been the mandolin's best friend, but even he could only compose so many mandolin concertos. But while the limited tone, range, and color of the instrument may only be so interesting even to its best friend, Vivaldi did everything that could be done with the instrument, and his handful of concertos are easily the best ever composed for the mandolin. This disc of Vivaldi mandolin concertos by Europa Galante under the direction of Fabio Biondi is also easily the best ever recorded. Because while there have been other great recordings of Vivaldi's mandolin concertos by other outstanding mandolin players, no other ensemble has so completely and thoroughly mastered and integrated the mandolin into its overall sonority. Thus, while the mandolinists of Europa Galante play just as beautifully as Paul O'Dette in his masterful performances on Hyperion, Europa Galante is more sensitive to the delicate colors of the instrument than O'Dette's Parley of Instruments. This results in performances that are more than the sum of their parts. For many listeners, it is the rest of the concertos on this disc that will prove just as attractive as the mandolin works. Such relative rarities as the Concerto for two violini in tromba marina, two recorders, two mandolins, two chalumeaux, two theorbos, and cello receive gloriously colorful performances by Biondi and Europa Galante. This is a superb disc with or without the mandolin concertos.