Vivaldi - Gloria · Magnificat / Concerto Italiano · Rinaldo Alessandrini [+ Bonus CD · Catalogue 2000]

Don't let the startling double-time opening of this Gloria put you off--listen with an open mind and you'll be surprised at how much sense it makes. Rinaldo Alessandrini's reading has many such surprises; some movements are taken very quickly, others surprisingly slowly, yet his choices seem fresh instead of perverse. The Magnificat is lesser known and thus less surprising, but it's every bit as lively. The soloists all sing nicely (although Biccire doesn't blend well in the soprano duet); the clear-voiced York and vigorous Mingardo provide imaginative ornaments. The excellent French chorus Akademia and Alessandrini's orchestra don't miss a single one of Alessandrini's beats. --Matthew Westphal