The six concertos on this CD are culled from two previously released LPs. Not all of them find Vivaldi at his most inventive but the programme has been well devised to provide as much contrast as possible. The A minor Concerto, RV463 and the C major, RV447, were recorded nearly ten years ago and the sound is markedly different from the remainder of the works. There is less clarity here and a slightly more distant perspective. Heinz Holliger plays them with sensitivity and, as JW remarked in his original review, treats the ravishing Largo of the A minor Concerto ''as romantically as it needs but always well within the conventions of style''. Yes, I agree with him; the spirit of romance is often strong in Vivaldi's music but we are rather apt to shy away from such things nowadays in our quest for 'authenticity'. Holliger's account of the Minuetto which concludes RV447 is stylish and affectionate.
The two remaining C major Concertos, RV446 and RV452 are only attributed to Vivaldi. Both carry distinguishing marks of his style though only intermittently; RV452 possesses a very beautiful Adagio whose wistful melody is accompanied by broken chords. The Concerto in D minor, RV454 is the one that found its way into the celebrated Op. 8 collection whilst the G major work, RV545, is a double concerto for oboe and bassoon. All the performances are lively, yet at times I found the approach lacking in subtlety, a little mechanical, perhaps. Only the virtuoso element in Holliger's playing prevented me from finding some of this on the dull side but the fault is Vivaldi's too. Some of the textures are very thin and sequences all too predictable. But still there's plenty to enjoy and the transfer CD is satisfactory, apart from the mild reservations expressed above.'