Leading period instrument ensemble Boston Baroque and Director Martin Pearlman bring us exuberant performances of two of the most popular Baroque choral works of all time, Vivaldi's 34Gloria34 and J.S. Bach's 34Magnificat34. Boston Baroque's previous three recordings of Baroque choral masterpiecesHandel's Messiah, Monteverdi's 1610 Vespers, and Bach's B minor masswon international acclaim and Grammy nominations for Best Choral Performance, and their previous Bach recording, that of the Orchestral Suites, was picked as an editor's choice in Gramophone. PVivaldi's celebrated Gloria was discovered at Turin in the late 1920's as part of a large collection of vocal pieces, and received its twentiethcentury premiere in 1930. It has remained one the most popular of all Vivaldi's compositions ever since. PThe Magnificat of J.S.Bach was originally composed in 1723 for the composer's first Christmas service at the St. Thomas Church in Leipzig, and reworked it in the early 1730s. This later, more familiar version is recorded here and given a brilliant and moving performance by Pearlman, Boston Baroque, and the five soloists. The setting is vibrant and celebratory, written for a large and colourful orchestra and incorporates a fivepart chorus instead of the usual chorus in four parts. PPersonnel: BRBoston Baroque, Martin Pearlman director PSoloists: BRTamara Matthews soprano, Deanne Meek mezzosoprano, Mary Phillips alto, Don Frazure tenor, Stephen Powell baritone