Mingardo brings a warm, grounded, true contralto sound to her solos, as well as a seamlessly smooth legato and refinement of phrasing. The members of the chorus who step into solo roles, sopranos Anna Simboli, Alena Dantcheva, Lia Serafini, and Monica Piccinini, and tenor Luca Dordolo, are all terrific. The 13-member chorus can sound full as well as intimate, and the youthful blend is especially appealing. Alessandrini's mastery in this repertoire is evident in the supple elegance of the performances, his keen sense of pacing, and particularly in the nuanced balance of the choral parts. This Naïve release, part of its Vivaldi Edition, features the singers and players of Concerto Italiano, led by its founder Rinaldo Alessandrini, and contralto Sara Mingardo. Vivaldi's two settings of the Gloria, both in D major and both from 1715, are no exceptions to that trend, and offer a spectacular showcase for soloists.
Venetian liturgical music of the early 18th century tended to be indistinguishable from opera except that the texts were sacred rather than theatrical, allowing congregations to hear the same kinds of displays of flamboyant virtuosity they could expect in the opera house (and often with the same singers).
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