As I Listen to Vivaldi's RV527, I Ask You:

[dulcinea]

how did you react when you realised that the music of AV and his contemporaries bore hardly any resemblance to the Romantic style with which you were already familiar? Were you as stunned and delighted as I was when I first heard the now world famous GLORIA?

[jbuck919]

I cannot remember my first Vivaldi hearing, but I can remember my first Brahms hearing (which as you imply came way first). In case anyone is interested, it was high school and the First Symphony under Bruno Walter checked out of the library.

I have always considered the Gloria a disappointment: Not as good for what it is as instrumental Vivaldi is for what it is, which is pretty good.

[Chalkperson]

I cannot remember my first Vivaldi hearing, but I can remember my first Brahms hearing (which as you imply came way first). In case anyone is interested, it was high school and the First Symphony under Bruno Walter checked out of the library.

I have always considered the Gloria a disappointment: Not as good for what it is as instrumental Vivaldi is for what it is, which is pretty good.

I agree, his Gloria has little substance...like bread without butter I think...

[Fergus]

I always did things slightly differently and I was listening to Classical and Baroque music for a long time before I heard much of the Romantic repertoire....it is just the way it happened for me

In relation to Vivaldi’s Sacred Music in general I personally find it very appealing but I have found that it definitely is a case where the interpretation/version does make a difference.

[Chalkperson]

I always did things slightly differently and I was listening to Classical and Baroque music for a long time before I heard much of the Romantic repertoire....it is just the way it happened for me

In relation to Vivaldi’s Sacred Music in general I personally find it very appealing but I have found that it definitely is a case where the interpretation/version does make a difference.

Lots of it's very good, the Gloria gets recorded way to often, and, it pales in comparison to whatever it's coupled with...

[7flat5]

how did you react when you realised that the music of AV and his contemporaries bore hardly any resemblance to the Romantic style with which you were already familiar? Were you as stunned and delighted as I was when I first heard the now world famous GLORIA?

Like some others, I grew up with more 18th and 20th century music than I did 19th century. I only came to the romantic era after a lot of baroque. That having been said, I first heard the Gloria on a Christmas record by Shaw, in a romantic style, and it's more of a shock for me to hear it in period garb than to hear it in a juicy romantic sauce. So, I guess I can't relate to this on several fronts. Your delight is, however, ... delightful.

[Chalkperson]

Then you, Fergus, and myself all listened to music the same way when we started...

[Fergus]

Then you, Fergus, and myself all listened to music the same way when we started...

And I thought that I was normal....I still struggle to come to terms with a lot of the Romantic era

[val]

I think you are talking about the Gloria RV 589 (and not 527). As far as I know Vivaldi composed two Gloria, one in 1713 (the RV 589) the other (the RV 588, more obscur) in 1717.

The music is agreable but Vivaldi did better: the Nisi Dominus RV 608, the Stabat Mater RV 621 and the little motet Longe mala umbrae terrores RV 629. The two Dixit Dominus are also very good (but, in my opinion, not better than the famous Gloria RV 589).

[diegobueno]

My first exposure to Vivaldi was the Concerto Grosso in D minor (no. 11 from L'estro armonico) recorded in a gussied-up arrangement that made it sound not too much different from Brahms. By the time I heard it straight, I was listening to music much farther removed (on both chronological ends) from the 19th century romantics. I remember the first time I heard The Four Seasons I thought "so this is what all the fuss is about????"

[mcq]

Personally, I that Vivaldi's sacred music is superior to his instrumental music. I've always loved Robert King's complete set on Hyperion. Such beautiful music.

[Fergus]

I have a number of those individual CDs and I hope to collect them all as I too think that King's versions of this music was indeed very good.

[Wallingford]

If the Vivaldi Gloria (i.e., the one that's generally regarded as the Gloria) is really lacking in musical substance, then let me declare myself here and now a musical junk-food junkie.

[Chalkperson]

The music is agreable but Vivaldi did better: the Nisi Dominus RV 608, the Stabat Mater RV 621 and the little motet Longe mala umbrae terrores RV 629. The two Dixit Dominus are also very good (but, in my opinion, not better than the famous Gloria RV 589).

Nobody comes close to Handel for Dixit Dominus, once heard it's difficult to listen to Vivaldi's version without thinking of The Big Aitch...

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Its-AITCH ... 0173699245

[Fergus]

In relation to Vivaldi's Gloria I actually prefer the Gloria RV588 to the more popular RV589; RV588 is more gentle and contains some hauntingly beautiful music.