Interesting, off-the-beaten-path items like Antonio Caldara's Il Giuoco del quadriglio (The Card Game) are great attention-getters. After all, who with even a passing interest in early music wouldn't be curious about a chamber opera from the 1730s consisting of nothing but contentious women playing cards? But if there's magic to be found in the piece -- a beauty, energy, or comedy to make it something of more than academic interest -- you are unlikely to find it in this recording, which is hampered by cautious vocalism and ...
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Interesting, off-the-beaten-path items like Antonio Caldara's Il Giuoco del quadriglio (The Card Game) are great attention-getters. After all, who with even a passing interest in early music wouldn't be curious about a chamber opera from the 1730s consisting of nothing but contentious women playing cards? But if there's magic to be found in the piece -- a beauty, energy, or comedy to make it something of more than academic interest -- you are unlikely to find it in this recording, which is hampered by cautious vocalism and a lack of expressive imagination. All involved, from conductor Stephen Alltop, to the Queen's Chamber Band, to the quartet of singers headlined by soprano Julianne Baird, seem to have their white gloves on, treating this nearly 300-year-old work like a fragile artifact rather than a robust, living thing. So, while the recording is capable, it is also boring, leaving the ear free to notice unflattering things, like the singers' inexpert Italian, instead of the witty repartee. The...
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Add this copy of Card Game to cart. $4.49, very good condition, Sold by Half Price Books Inc rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 2004 by Albany Records.
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