Vivaldi Edition, Vol. 1: Op. 1-6

This box is the first in a two-part series of all of Vivaldi’s published instrumental music. There were twelve volumes in all, numbered consecutively by his publisher as opera 1-12. None of this bears any relationship to the order of composition, or even the quality of the music, although most of it is first-rate Vivaldi. Rather, it reflects what the composer had on hand, and what the publisher thought would actually sell. The music consists of sonatas for solo instrument with continuo (harpsichord and cello) accompaniment and concertos–generally for violin and string orchestra. Included in this first box are the famous Concertos op. 3, subtitled “L’Estro Armonico,” which Bach found to much to his liking (he arranged several for keyboard). All of the performances, by I Musici, are first rate. –David Hurwitz