Antonio VIVALDI (1678 - 1741)
Per l'orchestra di Dresda - Vol. 1
Concerto for violin, two oboes, two horns, cello, bassoon, strings and
bc in F (RV 569) [12:12]
Concerto for violin, two oboes, two horns, bassoon, strings and bc in
F (RV 568) [13:18]
Concerto for violin, two oboes, two horns, cello, strings and bc in
D 'per la Solennità di S. Lorenzo' (RV 562) [16:35]
Concerto for violin, two oboes, two horns, bassoon, strings and bc in
F (RV 571) [10:01]
Concerto for violin, two oboes, two horns, cello, bassoon, strings and
bc in F (RV 574) [11:58]
Concerto for violin, two oboes, two horns, bassoon, strings and bc in
F (RV 568): Grave for oboe, strings and bc (original version of the
second movement) [1:56]
Zefira Valova (violin), Anna Starr, Markus Müller (oboe), Anneke
Scott, Joseph Walters (horn), Rebecca Rosen (cello), Jane Gower (bassoon)
Les Ambassadeurs/Alexis Kossenko
rec. 7-9 July 2012, Lutoslawski Studio of Polish Radio, Warsaw, Poland.
DDD
ALPHA 190 [66:04]
This disc includes five works which in the Vivaldi
catalogue are ranked among the concerti con molti stromenti.
This can be explained by the fact that various instruments have solo
episodes, especially the violins and pairs of oboes and horns. The title
could suggest that these concertos were specifically written for the
court orchestra in Dresden, but that is not the case. What we get here
are rather concertos which the star violinist of the Dresden orchestra,
Johann Georg Pisendel, collected over the years and adapted for performance
in Dresden.
The chapel was considered the best orchestra of Europe. It had some
of the greatest virtuosos in its ranks, not only from Germany, but also
from France and Italy. As a result it was an exponent of the mixed taste
which was predominant in Germany in the first quarter of the 18th century.
It is interesting that apparently there was a kind of division of roles
within the orchestra. The first violinist, Jean-Baptiste Volumier, directed
performances of French music, whereas Pisendel, who became first violinist
after Volumier's death in 1728, acted as his substitute in performances
of Italian music.
There can be little doubt about Pisendel's Italian leanings. In 1716/17
he accompanied the Crown Prince, Frederick Augustus, on his Grand
Tour of Italy, where he met the most brilliant violinists of the
day: Tomaso Albinoni and Antonio Vivaldi. They gave him some of their
compositions, especially sonatas for violin and basso continuo. These
are all technically demanding pieces, and show that they held their
German colleague in high esteem and were impressed by his technical
skills. There is documented evidence that Pisendel participated in performances
of concertos by Vivaldi in Venice.
He was also an avid collector of music. The archive of the court chapel
in Dresden includes a number of compositions by Italian masters, among
them the five concertos recorded here. Interestingly they are performed
not in their original form, but rather with the adaptations and additions
by Pisendel. The differences concern the ornamentation which is more
extended in these adaptations. Pisendel also added or extended cadenzas
and sometimes reassigned solos or changed the division between soli
and tutti. In the case of the Concerto in F (RV 568) he replaced
the original grave in C major (here included at the end of the
programme) with a largo in C minor which he took from Vivaldi's Concerto
for violin RV 202.
The scoring of these concertos is remarkable. That applies especially
to the important role of the horns. The horn was a relatively new instrument
which was used in France and later introduced in Germany. Its use soon
spread across the country; Dresden had two of the most brilliant hornists
at his disposal, Johann Adalbert Fischer and Johann Adam Franz Samm.
It is no coincidence that many pieces written for the court in Dresden
include parts for horns, for instance those by Johann David Heinichen.
For Vivaldi these instruments were rather new when he composed the first
of the concertos on this disc. It is also noteworthy that the orchestra
in Dresden included contrabassoons, later called gran fagotto
by the then Kapellmeister Johann Adolf Hasse. This explains the
use of such an instrument in these performances.
The booklet includes lengthy liner-notes in which every piece is discussed
in detail. There is no need to give a synopsis here. Just a couple of
points should suffice to give an idea of what you can expect. In the
Concerto in F (RV 569) we find a long pedal point in the last
movement, when the whole ensemble plays in unison, from which the violin
arises for a solo. In the Concerto in F (RV 568) Pisendel extensively
reworked the solo parts in both fast movements, including the insertion
of new solo episodes. The manuscript even features various versions
of his ornamentation and cadenzas. It shows how much freedom a performer
of his calibre took while performing music by another composer.
The Concerto in D (RV 562) has the addition per la Solennità
di S. Lorenzo, referring to the feast of St Lawrence. "The feast
day of Saint Lawrence was an important musical event for which a large
ensemble of musicians was used, and it was still customary to honour
a different violinist every year. The hypothesis that Pisendel, an illustrious
and highly virtuosic visitor, was the soloist in that year of 1716 is
thoroughly plausible", Alexis Kossenko states. The concerto is preserved
incomplete which means that some reconstruction work had to be carried
out. The third movement includes a long and virtuosic cadenza.
The Concerto in F (RV 571) is an almost litteral transcription
of the concerto da camera RV 99. The third movement includes
a very virtuosic solo episode to be played at high speed. In the slow
movement the solo violin is accompanied by the strings alone. The Concerto
in F (RV 574) seems to be the first of the concertos recorded here,
and probably dates from 1714. It is especially notable for the fact
that the horns are involved in the slow movement which was highly unusual
at the time. In all the other concertos on this disc they are silent
in the slow movements.
As one may gather from this description this is a highly interesting
disc which not only sheds light on a lesser-known aspect of Vivaldi's
oeuvre, but especially on performance practice in Dresden. It reveals
the freedom virtuosic performers took. Once again the high standard
of playing in the court orchestra, by Pisendel himself, but also by
the oboists and hornists is clear. Listening to this repertoire one
is not surprised that the orchestra was considered the best in Europe.
The performances by Les Ambassadeurs are admirable. The players show
impressive technical skills. Zefira Valova delivers brilliant interpretations
of the solo violin parts. She plays with modesty as she realises that
she is not the star of the show and has to share the role of soloist
with others. The players of the natural horns deserve special mention
as they greatly contribute to this highly compelling recording. The
character of the repertoire, the standard of the performances and the
extensive documentation fully merit Recording of the Month.
Johan van Veen
http://www.musica-dei-donum.org
https://twitter.com/johanvanveen
