CD Review | Vivaldi, The Four Nations (Reconstructed), Ensemble Caprice

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Vivaldi: The Four Nations (Reconstructed) 

Ensemble Caprice; Matthias Maute, director, recorder and traverso; Sophie Larivière, recorder and traverso 

ATMA Classique, 2025

The Four Nations (Reconstructed) is a highly original album featuring reconstructed versions of Vivaldi’s lost nation-themed concertos. Of these concertos—La Francia, L’nghilterra, La Spagna and Il Gran Mogol—only Il Gran Mogol remains intact. Ensemble Caprice director Matthias Maute has reconstructed the remaining three concertos. With intricate contrapuntal language and dazzling, virtuosic flute lines, these concertos come close to Vivaldi, without being the real thing.

Maute’s reconstructions are thoughtfully and expertly accomplished. In the album’s liner notes, he explains his reasoning behind Francia; the orchestra opens with traditional French dotted rhythms which, in the hands of the soloist, quickly transform into soaring Italian arabesques. There is clear insight behind Maute’s compositional choices. With humour and facility, he is able to get into the head of the Italian master. 

Take, for example, the allegro of Inghilterra, which, in true Vivaldian fashion, depicts a tempestuous sea. This movement features rollicking rhythms reminiscent of an English sea shanty alongside rapidly ascending scalar passages—typical of a Vivaldi violin concerto. Maute skilfully blends Vivaldi’s approach—centred on the evocation of the natural world—with the composer’s characteristic bravura instrumental techniques.

Ensemble Caprice brings Maute’s reconstructions to life. Both Maute and  are remarkably agile recorder players, and the soloists’ precision and energy is well-matched by the ensemble. The strings carry the counter-melodies and continuo lithely and expressively, unveiling the intricate textures of the pieces. 

Despite being very successful reconstructions, these pieces do not quite match the drama and originality of Vivaldi himself. While Vivaldi frequently weaves various textures within the same musical phrase, Maute’s phrases, textures and cadences tended to align more rigidly and predictably.  

This page is also available in / Cette page est également disponible en: Français (French)