Bach: Magnificat/Vivaldi: Gloria

Leading period instrument ensemble Boston Baroque and Director Martin Pearlman bring us exuberant performances of two of the most popular Baroque choral works of all time, Vivaldi’s "Gloria" and J.S. Bach’s "Magnificat". Boston Baroque’s previous three recordings of Baroque choral masterpieces–Handel’s Messiah, Monteverdi’s 1610 Vespers, and Bach’s B minor mass–won international acclaim and Grammy nominations for Best Choral Performance, and their previous Bach recording, that of the Orchestral Suites, was picked as an editor’s choice in Gramophone. Vivaldi’s celebrated Gloria was discovered at Turin in the late 1920’s as part of a large collection of vocal pieces, and received its twentieth-century premiere in 1930. It has remained one the most popular of all Vivaldi’s compositions ever since. The Magnificat of J.S.Bach was originally composed in 1723 for the composer’s first Christmas service at the St. Thomas Church in Leipzig, and re-worked it in the early 1730s. This later, more familiar version is recorded here and given a brilliant and moving performance by Pearlman, Boston Baroque, and the five soloists. The setting is vibrant and celebratory, written for a large and colourful orchestra and incorporates a five-part chorus instead of the usual chorus in four parts. Personnel: Boston Baroque, Martin Pearlman (director) Soloists: Tamara Matthews – (soprano), Deanne Meek – (mezzo-soprano), Mary Phillips – (alto), Don Frazure – (tenor), Stephen Powell – (baritone)