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These Motets prove that Vivaldi, although best known today for his instrumental works, composed for voice and instruments with equal mastery. Indeed, the orchestral writing closely resembles that of his concertos, complete with violin and cellos solos. The soprano engages in brilliant flights of coloratura and evocations of emotions from despair, torment, fear of God's wrath and horror of death to prayerful pleading, tenderness, serenity, and gratitude for God's mercy. The orchestra not only underlines these moods but depicts the turbulent sea, the raging storm, the Divine light. The first Motet, a hymn of praise set to Psalm 112, is essentially dramatic. Cast in a series of brief movements alternating minor and major, slow and fast, homophonic and contrapuntal, it abounds with beautiful, sustained devout melodies and bursts with rhythmic vitality. The other three Motets each feature two contrasting da capo arias--the returns freely embellished--separated by a recitative and culminating in a joyful, triumphant Alleluia. This results in a certain sameness of form, but as in the concertos, which have been unjustly accused of all sounding alike, the differences in texture, mood and expression create plenty of contrast and variety. The vocal writing is very difficult, especially in the florid repeats, at one point going up all the way to a high D (the orchestra is tuned a half-step down, or it would go even higher), so Patrizia Ciofi sometimes seems to struggle. Using a "white," vibratoless tone, she occasionally sounds a bit shrill. However, her intonation is impeccable, her breath control admirable, and she clearly feels at home in the style. The orchestra is excellent, both in the accompanying and solo sections. Vivaldi creates a real surprise by adding a trombone solo to one of the first Motet's fast movements. --Edith Eisler
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