Complete Viola D'amore Concertos

Product Description The seductively charming sound of the Baroque-era viola damore takes center stage in this new, all-Vivaldi recording with Billboard classical chart-topping violinist Rachel Barton Pine and the veteran Chicago-based period instrument ensemble Ars Antigua, making its Cedille label debut. Ms. Pine, Cedilles all-time best-selling artist, and Ars Antigua perform all eight of Vivaldis virtuosic concertos for viola damore, an unusual instrument of the violin family with 14 strings: seven played with the bow, the others resonating passively for a sweet, silvery tone. Pine is one of the rare mainstream performers with a total grasp of Baroque style and embellishment (Fanfare) and a most accomplished Baroque violinist, fully the equal of the foremost specialists. (Gramophone) Founded in the early 2000s by double-bass virtuoso Jerry Fuller, Ars Antigua (ancient art in Medieval Latin) comprises seasoned early music veterans from the Chicago area. Review "...these are actually concertos written for the viola d'amore, a violin-like instrument considered exotic even during the composer's time... the brilliant Rachel Barton Pine's love of the instrument is palpable on this collection of eight concertos. These are works rarely recorded on the instrument for which they were written, so all classical collections should seriously consider picking up this disc." --Rick Anderson, CD Hotlist: New Releases for Libraries, October 2015 "...When played with perfect intonation such as we might expect from Rachel Barton Pine, the result is captivatingly mellow and expressive, even in virtuoso passages. Vivaldi composed eight concertos for viola d'amore, and here they all are, smartly gathered together and performed to the hilt..." "...The fact that the sonics are drop-dead gorgeous and the balances absolutely perfect also counts for a lot. If you thought that Vivaldi all sounds the same, consider this release as a welcome corrective." --David Hurwitz, Classicstoday.com, November 5, 2015