Vivaldi: Bassoon Concertos, Vol. 5

1. Bassoon Concerto, for bassoon, strings & continuo in A minor, RV 497
Composed by Antonio Vivaldi
with Daniel Smith
Conducted by Tonko Ninic

2. Bassoon Concerto, for bassoon, strings & continuo in F major, RV 485
Composed by Antonio Vivaldi
with Daniel Smith
Conducted by Tonko Ninic

3. Bassoon Concerto, for bassoon, strings & continuo in E flat major, RV 483
Composed by Antonio Vivaldi
with Daniel Smith
Conducted by Tonko Ninic

4. Bassoon Concerto, for bassoon, strings & continuo in C major, RV 478
Composed by Antonio Vivaldi
with Daniel Smith
Conducted by Tonko Ninic

5. Bassoon Concerto, for bassoon, strings & continuo in A minor, RV 498
Composed by Antonio Vivaldi
with Daniel Smith
Conducted by Tonko Ninic

6. Bassoon Concerto, for bassoon, strings & continuo in C minor, RV 480
Composed by Antonio Vivaldi
with Daniel Smith
Conducted by Tonko Ninic

7. Bassoon Concerto, for bassoon, strings & continuo in B flat major, RV 502
Composed by Antonio Vivaldi
with Daniel Smith
Conducted by Tonko Ninic

Tracks:

Con No.7 a (RV497): First Movt: Allegro Molto
Con No.7 a (RV497): Second Movt: Andante molto
Con No.7 a (RV497): Third Movt: Allegro
Con No.8 F (RV485): First Movt: Allegro Non Molto
Con No.8 F (RV485): Second Movt: Andante
Con No.8 F (RV485): Third Movt: Allegro Molto
Con No.27 E Flat (RV483): First Movt: Presto
Con No.27 E Flat (RV483): Second Movt: Larghetto
Con No.27 E Flat (RV483): Third Movt: Allegro
Con No.3 C (RV478): First Movt: Allegro
Con No.3 C (RV478): Second Movt: Largo
Con No.3 C (RV478): Third Movt: Allegro
Con No.2 a (RV498): First Movt: Allegro
Con No.2 a (RV498): Second Movt: Larghetto
Con No.2 a (RV498): Third Movt: Allegro
Con No.9 C (RV480): First Movt: Allegro
Con No.9 C (RV480): Second Movt: Largo
Con No.9 C (RV480): Third Movt: Menuetto
Con No.24 B flat (RV502): First Movt: Allegro
Con No.24 B flat (RV502): Second Movt: Largo
Con No.24 B flat (RV502):Third Mov:

Customer Reviews:

falls way short of the mark.......2004-08-04

One of the most melodic, beautiful pieces I have ever heard is Vivaldi's Bassoon Concerto in E Flat (RV. 484), and I once owned a magnificent LP played by I Solisti di Zagreb, when they under the direction of cellist Antonio Janigro. Since this is the same chamber group, only in a different time period, I thought I might get similar quality, but here my much loved E Flat concerto does not shine, with the bassoon solo sounding as if it is being played underwater, with no tonal depth or energy.

If the 1st Movement Adagio Poco and the final Allegro are bad, the slow Andante is painful. It is sad that this is the only currently available performance of this concerto on CD that I have been able to find.
The other five concertos suffer the same dismal fate, and though the Zagreb Soloists are good, it is as if they were not in the same recording studio as Mr. Smith, and there is a lack of connection. Strangely enough, the complete series of 37 concertos in 6 volumes, which took 6 years to complete, won awards and some critical acclaim, and Daniel Smith is a crossover artist also known in jazz circles with a fine reputation, but to my ears this CD is quite wretched.
The sound quality is a bit muddy, which may be part of the problem, and total playing time is 61'52.

Bassoon Player.......2003-07-08

This is very soppy and absolutely out-of-tune performance. Any musician is to be ashamed to publish such poorly played record. You may notice slightly better performance on more known Concertos, suggesting that they were practiced more, and very raw performance on less known Concertos. One star is too good rating for the record.

Do not purchase!.......2000-11-16

It is unfortunate that the only bassoonist to have recorded all of Vivaldi's concerti for that instrument is Daniel Smith. The playing on this disc is technically poor, unmusical and embarassingly sloppy. The beauty, expression and excitement of this excellent repertoire is completely overshadowed by these incompetant perfomances. I urge you to please look elsewhere to enjoy this uniquely wonderful music.

Amazing Bassoon!.......2000-02-23

I remember as a young bassoonist, many years ago, learning to play many of the Vivaldi Bassoon Concerti. Although the music was wonderful and exciting, there was a serious lack of recordings. Now, thanks to Daniel Smith one can hear the music in all its glory. Many historians wonder why Vivaldi wrote so many concertos for the bassoon, which is not often considered a solo instrument. After listening to the wonderful virtuoso performances of Daniel Smith, you will know why. He demonstrates the wonderful range, expressiveness, and versatility of the bassoon. I own all of his Vivaldi Bassoon Concerti recordings and I often play them in my office. People ask me what that instrument is and are surprised and amazed at what a bassoon can really sound like in the hands of a true master. I give these recordings 5 stars.

Vivaldi: The Orchestral Masterpieces, Vol. 1 [Exclusive Free Sampler Included]

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Vivaldi: The Orchestral Masterpieces, Vol. 1 [Exclusive Free Sampler Included]

Manufacturer: Vanguard Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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