Search - Various Artists :: Vivaldi: Masterworks

The Red Priest's Top 40 (Ok Perhaps overdoing it)

John Keating | 05/19/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I am a huge fan of Brilliant as a classical label - I have yet to be disappointed in a product I have purchased. I have purchased The Mozart Box set, The Bach Boxed set, and now this Masterworks set of Vivaldi from Brilliant. I have to tell you - they are all excellent. Now to the review of the Vivaldi Masterworks set - I must admit that I have heard better renditions of The Four Seasons(please understand that by no means am I saying the one in this set is bad) I just have better versions in my collection. But I get to disc 3 Concertos Op.3 (1-6) - Oh my goodness - absolutely wonderful playing, the recording is pristine, what a gem! Disc 4 Concertos (7-12) the same beautiful playing, the recording is again pristine another gold nugget in the box! This is the way Brilliant operates giving regular Joes a chance to listen to beautiful music at a price that is simply astounding!



I know that there are other recordings of Vivaldi's work that are deemed better - and should I find one I will cough up the dough to add it to my collection - but honestly I don't "feel" like I am listening to inferior recordings here. I just place the disc in my cd player and viola I'm transported to another place and time. My ticket to go here may have cost coach fare-but I feel like I am receiving 1st class service.



So why did I give this four stars - simple there is absolutely no literature in the box - Nada - Zilch - Nuttin'. This is a real shame. I know it's all about the music, but c'mon would it have cost that much more to include some information about the artist, the Baroque music, a touch of history. That's my only gripe with this set. The music is great and the price well I think I have made that pretty clear.



So to sum things up - this set gives you a great deal of Vivaldi for a small amount of money. I believe you do get more than your money's worth here. The recordings are excellent and the music beautiful. What more can you ask for in a product? Buy this set - you'll be tapping your toes and smiling."

YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR ....... SOMETIMES

G. Engler | The Frigid Northeast | 10/13/2009

(1 out of 5 stars)

"A horrible disappointment - the performers include semi-professional community bands recorded in a coarse, screechy acoustic.

Instrumentalists and singers intonation are frequently off pitch and wobble. Lest you be tempted by other reviews of hte "Yellow box"older version of this set, be forewarned: Trevor Pinnock and The English Consort are no where to be heard on any of the 40 discs in this pitiful box set.



The overall sound quality compares to the early VOX Turnabout LP recordings of the 1960s. Frankly, I could barely listen to this set. Perhaps if you're used to listening to MP3 files you won't mind. But if you have fine audio gear - forget about it.



I sold it and got the much, much better Les Chefsd'Oeuvre which features truly classic performances of many of these works by I Musici with Salvatore Accardo, Heinz Holliger, and Feliz Ayo. This is playing several orders of magnitude better than this wretched Brilliant set - at virtually the same price. You're inhabiting a different universe viz., performance and sound when you listen to the Universal/Phillips set. Purchase it on amazon from one of the British vendors, and you'll probably save money too.



Don't say I didn't warn you. Although I suppose this wouldn't be too bad as background music in a dentist's office. Or in a Mall. Anywhere in fact where you didn't really have to l-i-s-t-e-n."