Hi-Res Downloads

96kHz/24-bit FLAC, Naïve OP30550 (supplied by www.highresaudio.com)

This is the third programme by Il Pomo d’Oro (founded in 2012, the group takes its name from a ten-hour 17th-century opera written by Antonio Cesti) in Naïve’s ambitious plan to record all of the Vivaldi works lodged in the Turin library. You’ll need to do some internet searching to find what exactly you are listening to here, as only the cover comes with this download. The six concertos vary in mood and inventiveness, with some fugal writing in the G-minor, RV517(i), birdsong and concluding ‘percussive’ effects in the opening track of the A-minor, RV523(i). The C-minor RV509 is quite a sombrely sustained work and it contrasts with the lively E-flat, RV515, with its echoing phrases. Crisp, buoyant string playing with the soloists nicely separated laterally but not set unnaturally forward. CB

Sound Quality: 85%

Hi-Fi News Lab Report

This appears to be a straightforward enough 96kHz recording/download offering a good dynamic range. The >40kHz bandwidth is well used by the extended harmonic range of higher strings and ‘percussive’ effects. PM