ANTONIO VIVALDI: SACRED MUSIC – 6 Susan Gritton – soprano Nathalie Stutzmann, Hilary Summers, Alexandra Gibson – contraltos The King’s Consort and Choir Robert King Hyperion CDA 66809 £££ Beatus vir (1720s version); Salve Regina; Laudate Dominum; In exitu Israel; Nisi Dominus. TPT 62’38”

This is a sixth recording for Hyperion of Vivaldi’s sacred music, which features some of the lesser-known versions of Vivaldi’s opera in a well-produced and packaged compact disc. King, although claiming a scholastic approach, is ultimately a musical performer and, to this end, always manages to produce the goods, even if they are occasionally a little rough around the edges. Unfortunately, there are places in this recording where this is the case: blend and sense of ensemble are missing in some instances, and this only serves to detract from an otherwise good recording.

Beatus vir, performed by King for the second time under the Hyperion banner in its very different 1720s version, is a well-controlled and musical performance. At times, however, one feels that it is somewhat lacking in drive; although the sense of orchestral ensemble is quite excellent (with the somewhat surprising exception of the opening of ‘In memoria aeterna’), one feels that some of the speeds are too laid back and ultimately produce a somewhat deadpan and laisser-faire sound. Particularly exciting are Hilary Summers and Nathalie Stutzmann’s contributions; Stutzmann rages with unashamed intensity, which complements Summers’ almost baritone-like timbre in the trio ‘In memoria aeterna’, a movement that even manages to inspire soprano Susan Gritton above the rather mediocre level heard on this recording. Although she delivers most of her solos with a sense of purpose and shape, there are places in which her voice sounds forced and her higher register distinctly tired. Similarly, a lack of control in some of the faster melismatic runs does little for an otherwise colourful palette.

Stutzmann’s performance lacks little...especially in the quicker movements, where she thunders operatically in a theatrical display of both virtuoso technique and excellent taste.

Gritton fares much better in the Salve Regina (RV617); her interaction in the first movement with Simon Jones’ delightful violin solos make for wonderful listening. The orchestra, however, seems to lack inspiration, especially in ‘Ad te clamamus’, where a rather perfunctory approach to dynamic control, especially in sequentially-repeating sections, becomes somewhat tedious, a left-over aspect of 1970s performance practice that has little place in modern performances. Instead, King could have done more to vary timbres, articulation and shapes, to produce a battery of more appropriate effects.

It is with the Nisi Dominus that this recording comes completely alive; tempi are considerably faster than in Scholl’s recent release with Paul Dyer and the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra (Decca 466 964-2 – reviewed in Issue 5 of MusicTeachers.co.uk’s Online Journal) and Nathalie Stutzmann’s performance lacks little. I prefer her passionate, bel canto approach to the somewhat over-complacent sound Scholl delivers, especially in the quicker movements, where she thunders operatically in a theatrical display of both virtuoso technique and excellent taste. Scholl still has the edge on her in the ‘Gloria’, a movement that suits his voice to perfection, but one would still need to go much further than Australia to hear such fine viola d’amore playing as that of Katherine McGillivray.

On the whole, this is a fine recording and, despite a few faults in delivery, is nevertheless a worthy and worthwhile addition to any Vivaldi-lover’s collection.

John Woodford