CCMusic.com

The seductively charming sound of the Baroque-era viola d'amore takes center stage in this new, all-Vivaldi recording with Billboard classical chart-topping violinist Rachel Barton Pine and the veteran Chicago-based period instrument ensemble Ars Antigua, making it's Cedille label debut. Ms. Pine, Cedille's all-time best-selling artist, and Ars Antigua perform all eight of Vivaldi's virtuosic concertos for viola d'amore, an unusual instrument of the violin family with 14 strings: seven played with the bow, the others resonating passively for a sweet, silvery tone. Pine is one of the rare mainstream performers with a total grasp of Baroque style and embellishment (Fanfare) and a most accomplished Baroque violinist, fully the equal of the foremost specialists. (Gramophone) Founded in the early 2000s by double-bass virtuoso Jerry Fuller, Ars Antigua (ancient art in Medieval Latin) comprises seasoned early music veterans from the Chicago area.