Try to imagine a world without the Vivaldi Gloria. In fact, imagine never having heard any sacred music by Vivaldi. Just 100 years ago, no one even knew of the existence of any Vivaldi church music. Then in 1926, from a monastery just outside Turin in Italy, came a revelation as extraordinary for music as the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb: a crate of 300 Vivaldi manuscripts, including no fewer than 50 sacred works.

This 11CD set offers jewels beyond count such as Beatus vir, a Stabat mater, a Dixit Dominus and myriad other brilliant Baroque jewels ready to be discovered. The choir and soloists are a veritable ‘who’s who’ of Baroque performance both now and in the recent past—Joyce DiDonato, Charles Daniels, Nathalie Stutzmann, Carolyn Sampson, Robin Blaze, James Bowman, Susan Gritton, Sarah Connolly, Neal Davies and more.

This collection sheds light on Vivaldi’s great diversity of styles and instrumentation. Many of the composer’s earliest and final works appear to have been written with the all-female forces of the Pietà in mind. Other works dating from a ‘middle’ period (which stretches from the mid-1720s to the early 1730s) are especially flamboyant and include the celebrated Dixit Dominus, RV594.

These recordings date between 1994 and 2002. An essay by Michael Talbot is offered in English, French and German, while sung texts are presented in their original Latin and in English.

Tracklist:

CD 1

Magnificat, RV610a · Dixit Dominus, RV594 · Lauda, Jerusalem, RV609 · Kyrie, RV587 · Credo, RV591

Featuring Susan Gritton, Lisa Milne, Catherine Denley, Lynton Atkinson & David Wilson-Johnson

CD 2

In furore iustissimae irae, RV626 · Longe mala, umbrae, terrores, RV629 · Clarae stellae, scintillate, RV625 · Canta in prato, ride in monte, RV623 · Filiae maestae Jerusalem, RV638 · Nulla in mundo pax sincera, RV630

Featuring Deborah York, Catherine Denley & James Bowman

CD 3

Dixit Dominus, RV595 · Domine ad adiuvandum, RV593 · Credidi propter quod, RV605 · Beatus vir, RV598

Featuring Susan Gritton, Catrin Wyn-Davies, Catherine Denley, Charles Daniels, Neal Davies & Michael George

CD 4 & CD 5

Juditha Triumphans devicta Holofernes barbarie, RV644

Featuring Ann Murray, Maria Cristina Kiehr, Susan Bickley, Sarah Connolly & Jean Rigby

CD 6

In turbato mare irato, RV627 · Non in pratis aut in hortis, RV641 · Stabat mater, RV621 · O qui caeli terraeque serenitas, RV631 · Deus tuorum militum, RV612 · Confitebor tibi, Domine, RV596

Featuring Susan Gritton, Jean Rigby, Robin Blaze, Charles Daniels & Neal Davies

CD 7

Beatus vir, RV795 · Salve regina, RV617 · Laudate Dominum, RV606 · In exitu Israel, RV604 · Nisi Dominus, RV608

Featuring Susan Gritton, Nathalie Stutzmann, Hilary Summers & Alexandra Gibson

CD 8

Laetatus sum, RV607 · Laudate pueri, RV601 · Vestro Principi divino, RV633 · Jubilate, o amoeni chori, RV639 · Gloria in excelsis Deo, RV588

Featuring Susan Gritton, Carolyn Sampson, Nathalie Stutzmann & Charles Daniels

CD 9

Sum in medio tempestatum, RV632 · Laudate pueri, RV600 · Cur sagittas, cur tela, RV637 · Sanctorum meritis, RV620 · Salve regina, RV616

Featuring Susan Gritton, Tuva Semmingsen & Nathalie Stutzmann

CD 10

Laudate pueri, RV602 · Salve regina, RV618 · Ascende laeta, RV635 · Gaude mater Ecclesia, RV613 · Vos aurae per montes, RV634 · Gloria Patri, RV602a

Featuring Carolyn Sampson, Susan Gritton, Joanne Lunn, Joyce DiDonato & Nathalie Stutzmann

CD 11

Gloria, RV589 · Nisi Dominus, RV803 · Ostro picta, RV642Ruggieri: Gloria, RV Anh.23

Featuring Carolyn Sampson, Joanne Lunn, Tuva Semmingsen, Joyce DiDonato, Robin Blaze, Hilary Summers, Julie Cooper, Simon Jones, Daniel Auchincloss, Cecilia Osmond & Robin Tyson