Awards 2012 - Baroque Instrumental

Vivaldi: La Cetra, op.9

Rachel Podger; Holland Baroque Society

Channel

"La cetra ('The Lyre') was published in Amsterdam in 1727, dedicated to the Austrian emperor, Charles VI... the set as a whole demonstrates Vivaldi's remarkable ability to find continually renewed inspiration in writing for solo violin with string orchestra... Podger plays with her customary beauty of tone, purity of tuning and lively variety of articulation. Her melodic decorations in the slow central movements give a delightfully unforced, spontaneous impression." - Duncan Druce, Gramophone.

"The musicians are truly engaged with the music... They clearly found a great deal of joy in recording thse concertos, and it's easy to hear. The fast passages are crisp and fiery—and really fast!—while slow passages come off with an easy, languid grace. Rachel Podger's playing is so good that it's transparent—you don't even notice it, and then when you do, you think it isn't possible. The music just is, and it's beautiful, and there aren't any bad notes to spoil it. Kind of like heaven." - Ardella Crawford, American Record Guide.

   

Runners-up:

Purcell: Twelve Sonatas of Three Parts. Retrospect Trio [Linn]

Milton and Peerson: "Sublime Discourses". Fretwork [Regent]

Vivaldi: Bassoon concertos, volume 2. Sergio Azzolini; L’Aura Soave Cremona/Diego Cantalupi [Naive]

Bach: Solo violin music. Amandine Beyer [Zig Zag Territoires]

More first appearances by labels: Regent and Zig Zag. The winners of this category over the years have—with the exception of last year's "Venezia" disc from the Rare Fruits Council—all been recordings of the three Baroque giants, Vivaldi, Handel, and JS Bach.