The Avison Ensemble - Vivaldi: Concerti Opus 8 - Hi-Fi+

Though it does contain a sonnet probably written by the composer himself (complete with cue marks in the score) in the style of John Milton, and is intended as a four-concerto unit, it is also the tip of a much larger iceberg called The Trial between Harmony and Invention, a series of twelve concertos that begins with The Four Seasons. Often the other concertos get overlooked when in fact several of them are the Season's equals, like the invigorating No. 5, The Storm at Sea. Two others retain titles as well: No. 6, Pleasure, and No. 10, The Hunt. The set also has one oboe concerto as well, though most often all are played on the violin.

Each of these works is a beautiful composition and all are worthy of a devoted Vivaldi lover's attention. I am a fan of Vivaldi concertos and the playing here is as good as it gets. Linn has given us a rather resonant acoustic and with these compositions it works just fine. Besnosiuk and The Avison take a rousing interpretation of the compositions here and they are well worth hearing.