Vivaldi's Magnificat probably dates from shortly after the 1726 death
of composer C.P. Grua, which resulted in his having to provide sacred
music for the Venetian orphanage and convent he enjoyed a long-standing
relation with: the Ospedale della Pietà. There are actually three
versions of the work: 1) for SSAT soli, chorus and orchestra (RV 610);
2) for SSSAT soli, double chorus and two orchestras (RV 610a); and the
final version (RV 611), which takes six movements from RV 610 replaces
the other three movements with solos written for specific singers at the
Pietà Apollonia, la Bolognesa, Chiaretta, Ambrosina and Albetta.
Westermann's edition, originally published by now-defunct publisher E.F.
Kalmus, retains the material from the original single-chorus version (RV
610), while including the added solo material Vivaldi inserted for RV
611 as alternatives, making it eminently practical for today's choral
groups. In contrast so many of the on-demand scores now available, this
one comes with all the pages! The images have been thoroughly checked to
make sure it is readable and it's beautifully printed with a quality
cover.