Some readers will already have encountered these performances in the LP version which has been available for the past six or seven years. The Gloria, RV588 is the lesser known of Vivaldi's two settings in D major; and this performance is correctly prefaced with an Introduzione in D major, Jubilate o amaeni, RV639. Two versions exist of the Introduzione, one for soprano (RV639a) and the other for alto voice; here the alto setting is used.
I'm afraid the performances have little to recommend them. The choral singing of the Budapest Madrigal Choir is lacklustre, a little untidy in ensemble and variable in intonation. The ''Et in terra pax'' is slovenly and lethargic, and this, in varying degrees, appplies to much else here. I found Klara Takacs disappointing. Here is a dark coloured, cloudy voice, rather unsuited to this music, whose character is unfortunately emphazied by a much brighter sounding soprano, Katalin Szokefalvi-Nagy. The Hungarian State Orchestra play tidily but appear to search in vain for a vital spark from the conductor, Ferenc Szekeres. He has directed livelier performances of Vivaldi's music in the past which makes this lugubrious offering even more regrettable. For much of the time he seems content to let the orchestra plod along in a prosaic, four-square manner. The fugue, ''Domine fili Unigenite'' almost entirely lacks shape and conviction and matters are not helped by the generally indistinct textual declamation. Perhaps, in the end, what makes the performance a dreary one is that nothing at all is made of contrasting affects between the several movements. The lyrical ''Qui sedes and dexteram Patris'', as beautiful as anything in either of Vivaldi's Gloria settings, is too slow, too heavy in the bass and too ill-focused vocally to induce in us any positive or affectionate responses.
Anyone wanting this work on CD would do much better with the version by the Choir of St John's College, Cambridge and the Wren Orchestra conducted by George Guest on Argo. Admittedly, in that case you will have to forego both the Introduzione and a performance of the cantata, Cessate, omai cessate, RV684; but that is a small price to pay for altogether more convincing and more lively singing and playing. The cantata, by the way, fares no better than the Gloria and contains some thoroughly unconvincing stylistic mannerisms in the keyboard continuo realizations. A pity, for the work is one of Vivaldi's finest in this form.
Very disappointing, and I defy anyone to replace the over-fat booklet in the place customarily set aside for it in a standard CD format.'