If I Could Choose Only One Work By...VIVALDI

It Would Have To Be...L'Estro Armonico
These twelve violin concertos (for anywhere from one to four soloists) offer a clinic in the newest version of the baroque concerto--three shapely movements, plenty of energy in the quick bits, with generously songful slow interludes between them.

The List So Far:
1. Ravel: Ma Mère l’Oye (Mother Goose Ballet)
2. Bruckner: Symphony No. 7
3. Schubert: String Quintet in C major
4. Shostakovich: Symphony No. 4
5. Mahler: Symphony No. 2 “Resurrection”
6. Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker
7. Debussy: Preludes for Piano (Books 1 & 2)
8: Handel: Saul
9. Mozart: Le Nozze di Figaro
10. Brahms: String Sextet No. 2 in G major
11. Vaughan Williams: Job
12. Bach: Goldberg Variations
13. R. Strauss: Four Last Songs
14. Berlioz: The Damnation of Faust
15. Haydn: “Paris” Symphonies (Nos. 82-87)
16. Wagner: Der Ring des Nibelungen
17. Beethoven: String Quartet No. 14 in C-sharp minor
18. Mendelssohn: Violin Concerto in E minor
19. Chopin: Preludes
20. Verdi: Rigoletto
21. Roussel: Symphony No. 2
22. Copland: Appalachian Spring (complete original ballet)
23. Grieg: Peer Gynt Suites Nos. 1 and 2
24. Bartók: Sonata for Two Pianos and Percussion
25. Prokofiev: Piano Concerto No. 2
26. Rimsky-Korsakov: Opera Suites (Scottish National Orchestra/Järvi) Chandos
27. Schoenberg: Pierrot Lunaire
28. Smetana: Ma Vlást
29. Falla: Nights in the Gardens of Spain
30. Bizet: Carmen
31. Elgar: In the South
32. Sullivan: The Mikado
33. Dvořák: Symphony No. 8; Cello Concerto (Piatigorsky/Munch/Boston Symphony) RCA
34. Liszt: Hungarian Rhapsodies
35. Monteverdi: Orfeo
36. Scarlatti: Sonatas
37. Schumann: Fantasie in C, Op. 17
38. Berg: Wozzeck
39. Hermann: Psycho (film score)
40. Rachmaninoff: Rhapsody on the Theme of Paganini
41. Purcell: Dido and Aeneas
42. Holst: Suites for Military Band
43. Stravinsky: Oedipus Rex
44. Respighi: Three Botticelli Pictures
45. Sibelius: Symphony No. 5; Pohjola’s Daughter (Bernstein, New York Philharmonic) Sony
46. Britten: The Turn of the Screw
47. Borodin: String Quartet No. 2
48. Janácek: The Cunning Little Vixen
49. Korngold: Violin Concerto
50. Tallis: Spem in Alium
51. Nielsen: Symphony No. 5
52. Barber: Knoxville: Summer of 1915
53. Hindemith: Symphony in E-flat
54. Mussorgsky: Boris Godunov
55. Franck: Violin Sonata
56. Rossini: La gazza ladra (The Thieving Magpie)
57. Saint-Saëns: Piano Concerto No. 5 “Egyptian”
58. Weill: The Seven Deadly Sins
59. Pergolesi: Stabat Mater
60. Albeniz: Iberia
61. Bernstein: Mass
62. Schreker: Chamber Symphony
63. Walton: Variations on a Theme by Hindemith
64. Dukas: Piano Sonata
65. Gershwin: Porgy and Bess
66. Tippett: Piano Concerto
67. Poulenc: Songs (ATMA, 5 discs)
68. Szymanowski: Violin Concerto No. 1
69. Gluck: Alceste

[bulldogklaus]

Rachel Podger's rendition of "La Stravaganza" is my personal favorite selection of Vivaldi's catalogue. In fact, it's among my favorite recordings of anything.

[salt_cots]

Good choice. I first got to know "L'estro" in the Fabio Biondi (Virgin Classics) recording 30 years ago. Vivaldi's life intrigues me, partly because there's quite a bit of mystery about it. I created my own little tour of the sites in Venice where he is known to have lived/worked. For a recent significant birthday I treated myself to the purchase of the magisterial second edition of Ryom-Verzeichnis, the catalogue of the music of Vivaldi created by Danish musicologist Peter Ryom.

[Fuad-hjjp]

According to British musicologist Michael Talbot, the publication of Vivaldi's Op 3 made Vivaldi famous across Europe. I, therefore, strongly agree regarding the choice made per this video.

[johnmarchington]

Top choice, David - and Rachel's performances are absolutely dellghtful

[petergraham]

I would put all Vivaldi Oboe & Viola d‘amore concertos on one CD. I think they might all fit. A priceless gem indeed.

[nnz]

great choice, glad its in my collection too

[ManorHouseMusic]

Dear David - thank you for being the most astute and knowledgeable commentator on classical music. In the whole wide world! 🌎 My finger was poised, ready to comment that L' estro armonico was indeed the opus that established Vivaldi's genius but with your unerring judgement, you chose it. In my humble opinion, I cannot think of a finer concerto than his Op. 3 No. 10 for four violins, and yes, it has to be Vivaldi's original. I grew up with a wonderful 1968 recording by the Toulouse Chamber Orchestra under Louis Auriacombe on Classics for Pleasure. The recording's original name was 'Viva Vivaldi'. You can't argue with that!

[smallbirdsongs]

This is such delightful music, and I'd never heard it until today! Also: to my ears, the recording you've recommended sounds warm and clear and lovely, and the performances are beautiful. Thank you truly, I am grateful!

[shantihealer]

At last, and of course a great choice and excellent talk, many thanks!

[tkengathegrateful]

I'd have picked "La Follie" - the world's first rock jam. However, one of the reasons I come to this channel is to find out about things I haven't heard/heard of before (thanks for the introductions to Tubin, Petterson, Lajtha, and Holmboe!), so mission accomplished once again!

[shawnhampton]

I adore this recording. My other fave with Rachel Podger doing Vivaldi is "La Stravaganza" with a wonderful Polish orchestra. It is superb and recorded so well with lots of plucked stringy things... lush ee uss.

[robertdandre]

by concerto rv 212'' la lingua di san antonio'' what melodic richness we find in this concerto, for me one of the most beautiful if not one of the best of prete rosso....also all his music religious .... what an invention in the orchestration that I listen to long before the singer or singers one of the most beautiful airs of vivaldi .... '' cum dederit '' from nisi dominus

[richardguenther]

The Rachel Podger recordings of Vivaldi's opp. 3, 4 and 9 plus le quattro stagioni are coming soon as a 7CD box.

[sergiociomei]

Fantastic video, and I LOVE the fact that you quoted the Affektenlehre and explained it to your audience!
"L'Estro Armonico" is a great collection of concertos, and for me it's sort of ex-aequo with "Il Cimento", which I also adore.
I remember buying "Il Cimento" conducted by Harnoncourt when I was 12, and then being in a state of extatic shock for weeks, to the point of dreaming (I mean it LITERARLY, during sleep)that Harnoncourt had released "L'Estro Armonico", too, and in my dream I put on the record, and it was the most beautiful thing ever heard in my life!!
I have been hoping that my dream could become true one day, for years, but sadIy it wasn't going to happen. In the end I bought Hogwood's version, which is very good and fantasticaIIy recorded, while(more or less in the same period) my father bought the one by "I Musici", a pre-HIP recording, but nonetheless very beautifully played.
The Cd you are keeping in your hands seems to be the one by Rachel Podger, isn't it?
I never heard that record, would you advice me to buy it, now that you know about my past wild dreams about Harnoncourt's version?😂
Many greetings from Genova/Italy, and congratulations for your great videos!!
Sergio

[markhuff]

Haha! Perky! Best one-word description ever!!!

[paulgthomas]

These are great recordings as are all of Podger's Vivaldi - The Welshman in me, however compels me to say its a hard 'c' in Brecon - it's a town in Wales, where, I believe Ms Podger resides.

[bobflagg]

Agree! The I Musici version (in the new box) for me.

[markmiller]

I'm looking forward to Telemann! :-)

[goonbelly]

I'm old fashioned, so I'll have to go with I Musici's 1983 recording (their second recording of the work). No hip performances for me. Vivaldi's music deserves to be played on the best instruments by the best musicians.

[josecarmona]

Apart from Rogers' recording, which I have, I'm interested in Warner Biondi box. Please, how do you rate it?