Presto Recordings of the Year, Vivaldi (composer)

His technical strengths emerge clearly in the way in which he negotiates the switchback turns of Vivaldi’s ‘Cada pur sul capo’ (from Artabano), the cascading melodies of Porpora’s ‘Nocchier,... — BBC Music Magazine, July 2023, 4 out of 5 starsMore…

We very quickly learn just how characterful Desandre can be with her amused, laughing reactions to women in battle in ‘Non posso far’, and the dark glitter of her voice in the melancholic ‘Lasciatemi... — BBC Music Magazine, November 2021, 5 out of 5 stars (Performance) / 4 out of 5 stars (Recording)More…

Part of the freshness stems from the interaction between Podger and her one-to-a-part ensemble. She’s first among equals and the dynamic couldn’t be further removed from the usual notion of... — BBC Music Magazine, June 2018, 5 out of 5 starsMore…

There's a sense of Podger and her players examining and analysing every note in their preparation, deciding on its role, and placing it carefully back into context, without ever disturbing the... — BBC Music Magazine, April 2015, 5 out of 5 starsMore…

Her playing is intoxicated and intoxicating in equal measure, buoyed up by the wonderful improvisatory camaraderie of a continuo battery…Podger, inevitably, is the star, but ultimately the disc’s... — BBC Music Magazine, December 2017, 5 out of 5 starsMore…

Having previously tackled Vivaldi’s operas, a vibrant sense of theatre clings to Alessandrini’s every interpretative decision; and while he’s typically all over the detail, he never loses sight... — BBC Music Magazine, May 2022, 5 out of 5 starsMore…

There is no doubt about the exceptional playing of both soloist and orchestra, directed by Langlois de Swarte himself – alternately exuberant , wayward, introspective and melancholic, they move... — BBC Music Magazine, March 2024, 5 out of 5 starsMore…

Les Ombres, under its co-founder and bass violist Margaux Blanchard, provide a lively and sympathetic rapport with the soloist — BBC Music Magazine, May 2022, 4 out of 5 starsMore…

Chandler’s tempos are invariably ‘just so’ – expertly executed, spaciously recorded, the disc consolidates and celebrates the ensemble’s Vivaldian roots as its 25th anniversary year beckons.... — BBC Music Magazine, October 2018, 5 out of 5 starsMore…

Purists may of course object, but I think the decision to go hunting for concertos from the violin and oboe repertoire is amply justified. Baroque Concertos is a wide-ranging collection that... — David Smith, Presto Music, 18th October 2024More…