Vivaldi: The Complete Sacred Music - 11 CD Boxset

Try to imagine a world without the Vivaldi Gloria. In fact, imagine never having heard any sacred music by Vivaldi. Just 100 years ago, no one even knew of the existence of any Vivaldi church music. Then in 1926, from a monastery just outside Turin in Italy, came a revelation as extraordinary for music as the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb: a crate of 300 Vivaldi manuscripts, including no fewer than 50 sacred works.

Although everyone can hum along to Vivaldi’s Gloria, this 11CD set offers jewels beyond count such as Beatus vir, a Stabat mater, a Dixit Dominus and myriad other brilliant Baroque jewels ready to be discovered. This landmark set means there is no further excuse.

The choir and soloists are a veritable ‘who’s who’ of Baroque performance both now and in the recent past—Joyce DiDonato, Charles Daniels, Nathalie Stutzmann, Carolyn Sampson, Robin Blaze, James Bowman, Susan Gritton, Sarah Connolly, Neal Davies and more. Expense was never spared.

This collection sheds light on Vivaldi’s great diversity of styles and instrumentation. Many of the composer’s earliest and final works appear to have been written with the all-female forces of the Pietà in mind. Other works dating from a ‘middle’ period (which stretches from the mid-1720s to the early 1730s) are especially flamboyant and include the celebrated Dixit Dominus, RV594.

This set re-issues an authoritative (but long deleted) 11CD set. The recordings date between 1994 and 2002. An essay by Michael Talbot is offered in English, French and German, while sung texts are presented in their original Latin and in English.

CD1
Magnificat, RV610a · Dixit Dominus, RV594 · Lauda, Jerusalem, RV609 · Kyrie, RV587 · Credo, RV591 
Featuring Susan Gritton, Lisa Milne, Catherine Denley, Lynton Atkinson & David Wilson-Johnson

CD2
In furore iustissimae irae, RV626 · Longe mala, umbrae, terrores, RV629 · Clarae stellae, scintillate, RV625 · Canta in prato, ride in monte, RV623 · Filiae maestae Jerusalem, RV638 · Nulla in mundo pax sincera, RV630
Featuring Deborah York, Catherine Denley & James Bowman

CD3
Dixit Dominus, RV595 · Domine ad adiuvandum, RV593 · Credidi propter quod, RV605 · Beatus vir, RV598
Featuring Susan Gritton, Catrin Wyn-Davies, Catherine Denley, Charles Daniels, Neal Davies & Michael George

CD4 & CD5
Juditha Triumphans devicta Holofernes barbarie, RV644 
Featuring Ann Murray, Maria Cristina Kiehr, Susan Bickley, Sarah Connolly & Jean Rigby

CD6
In turbato mare irato, RV627 · Non in pratis aut in hortis, RV641 · Stabat mater, RV621 · O qui caeli terraeque serenitas, RV631 · Deus tuorum militum, RV612 · Confitebor tibi, Domine, RV596
Featuring Susan Gritton, Jean Rigby, Robin Blaze, Charles Daniels & Neal Davies

CD7
Beatus vir, RV795 · Salve regina, RV617 · Laudate Dominum, RV606 · In exitu Israel, RV604 · Nisi Dominus, RV608
Featuring Susan Gritton, Nathalie Stutzmann, Hilary Summers & Alexandra Gibson

CD8
Laetatus sum, RV607 · Laudate pueri, RV601 · Vestro Principi divino, RV633 · Jubilate, o amoeni chori, RV639 · Gloria in excelsis Deo, RV588
Featuring Susan Gritton, Carolyn Sampson, Nathalie Stutzmann & Charles Daniels

CD9
Sum in medio tempestatum, RV632 · Laudate pueri, RV600 · Cur sagittas, cur tela, RV637 · Sanctorum meritis, RV620 · Salve regina, RV616
Featuring Susan Gritton, Tuva Semmingsen & Nathalie Stutzmann

CD10
Laudate pueri, RV602 · Salve regina, RV618 · Ascende laeta, RV635 · Gaude mater Ecclesia, RV613 · Vos aurae per montes, RV634 · Gloria Patri, RV602a
Featuring Carolyn Sampson, Susan Gritton, Joanne Lunn, Joyce DiDonato & Nathalie Stutzmann

CD11
Gloria, RV589 · Nisi Dominus, RV803 · Ostro picta, RV642
Ruggieri: Gloria, RV Anh.23
Featuring Carolyn Sampson, Joanne Lunn, Tuva Semmingsen, Joyce DiDonato, Robin Blaze, Hilary Summers, Julie Cooper, Simon Jones, Daniel Auchincloss, Cecilia Osmond & Robin Tyso