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Vivaldi is rarely given points for his creativity as a composer, but he does deserve credit for stretching the boundaries of the concerto.  

Not only did he compose hundreds of concertos for a wide range of solo instruments, he also wrote concertos for multiple soloists --up to 13.  

On this new recording, two of today's most enticing violinists, Viktoria Mullova and Giuliano Carmignola, team up with the Venice Baroque Orchestra to offer sparkling performances of six of Vivaldi's 28 concertos for two violins. 

The two violinists are almost always given equal treatment in these concertos. No single player could pull off what's written on the page, yet it's almost as if there's just one solo role. 

Vivaldi  was director of the Ospedale della Pieta, a girls' orphanage, and used their regular concerts as a way to showcase his talented young musicians. 

Visitors came from far and wide not only to hear the music these young women had to offer, but in some cases, to choose a wife. Giving the women equal roles as soloists let everyone have a chance to shine. 

Viktoria Mullova and Giuliano Carmignola blend their virtuosic talents beautifully on this new release. The Concerto in D major is oozing with high energy. The first movement will rock your socks off. The last movement demonstrates just how agile these two performers are, as they fly through the finale with virtuosic runs and brilliant intonation. 

The dialogue between these two soloists can also be tender and melodious, as we hear in the middle movement of the Concerto in C minor, RV 509. It's the interplay between the two violinists that's most refreshing on this recording. 

In the finale to the C minor concerto, we get an enticing taste of their gritty expressiveness and their virtuosity.

In the Concerto in B flat major, RV524, the two soloists engage in gorgeous, rich, melodic harmonies. Their musical conversation is heartfelt and playful. Here Mullova plays her 1750 Guadagnini, and Carmignola plays a 1732 Stradivarius, lent to him for this recording. As they team up, you'll experience a musical exchange that's downright entertaining.

On this new release, Andrea Marcon and the Venice Baroque Orchestra offer an historically informed performance focusing on what the composer intended, while not being afraid to add a their own creative insights.  The quick tempos and fierce approach to the music give Vivaldi's concertos an added sense of raw adventure. 

Viktoria Mullova and Giuliano Carmignola may be star soloists, but they never put themselves ahead of the music. In fact, you'll have a difficult time telling them apart as they focus on the beauty of Vivaldi's music and the balance of the violin duet.

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Julie Amacher

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On a new disc, two of today's top violinists get together to play double concertos by Vivaldi. It's a playful, virtuosic musical conversation with a rare sense of partnership.

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