Review: Antonio Vivaldi, Complete Works for Italian Lute of His Period

Concerto in D Major for Lute, Two Violins and Basso Continuo, RV 93 (Tullo Galli, Second violin)

Trio in G Minor for Violin, Lute and Basso Continuo, RV 85 Trio in C Major for Violin, Lute and Basso Continuo, RV 82 Concerto in D Minor for Viola d' Amore, Lute and Orchestra, RV 540

Jakob Lindberg, Lute

Nils-Erik Sparf, Violin; Monica Huggett, Viola d'amore

The Drottningholm Baroque Ensemble

On this recording one of the few really great archlute players in the world gives us more than our money's worth. Jakob Lindberg, a lanky young man of poetic mien and perfectly controlled fingers, has style. His research into the manner of realizing Vivaldi's intentions with regard to the lute produces some of the most elegant melodic phrasing and convinc­ing articulation to be heard. His chosen tempi are right on the button for this music. When the time comes for a bit of added ornamentation, Lindberg does just enough so that it seems both spontaneous and entirely unaffected. His collaborators, the ten-member Drottningholm Baroque Ensemble and Monica Huggett, join in as if to the manner born and as if the ink were still wet on the page.