Antonio VIVALDI (1678-1741)
Concerti per violino IV 'L'imperatore'
Concerto in g minor (RV 331) [12:57]
Concerto in C 'p.S.M.C.C.' (RV 171) [9:01]
Concerto in b minor, op. 9,12 (RV 391) [11:29]
Concerto in E 'L'amoroso' (RV 271) [10:10]
Concerto in g minor (RV 327) [10:52]
Concerto in E (RV 263a) [10:24]
Concerto in C (RV 181) [9:45]
Concerto in C, op. 9,1 (RV 181a): Allegro [2:35]
Il Pomo d'Oro/Riccardo Minasi (violin)
rec. 2011, Lonigo, Italy DDD
NAÏVE OP30533 [77:19]
Composers from the baroque era were always on the look-out
for patrons, either someone who would provide them with financial support
or someone whose position would give them a certain status. Antonio Vivaldi
was no exception. At several points during his career he was in contact with
Charles VI, Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire who was a great lover of music
and who had gathered an impressive number of highly-qualified performers and
composers at his court in Vienna. One way of associating oneself with an important
figure like that was the dedication of a collection of compositions. Vivaldi
dedicated two sets of concertos to the Emperor, curiously with the same title,
La Cetra. The title can be explained by the fact that this instrument
- the lyre, the symbol of music in classical mythology - was often associated
with the Habsburg dynasty. The first collection was published as Vivaldi's
op. 9 in 1727 in Amsterdam. In September 1728 the composer met Charles in
Trieste, and on that occasion offered him a second collection, again comprising
twelve concertos. These were all new, except one which had already been included
in the op. 9 set. This disc focuses on the concertos which can be associated
with the Emperor; that explains the title 'L'imperatore'.
The liner-notes don't indicate exactly whether every concerto played
here was part of the present to the Emperor.
The Concerto in C (RV 171) specifically refers to Charles. It has
the addition p.S.M.C.C. to its title: per Sua Maestà Cesarea
Cattolica (for His Imperial Catholic Majesty). That doesn't indicate
that Vivaldi composed it for the Emperor; he could have added the title at
a later stage, for instance when he played it before Charles, as Cesare Fertonani
suggests in his liner-notes. A concerto which was part of the collection Vivaldi
offered to the Emperor is the Concerto in b minor (RV 391) which
was also included in the op. 9 set of 1727. Here Vivaldi makes use of scordatura;
it is one of only five concertos in his oeuvre in which he uses it. In this
case Vivaldi links up with a tradition in Austria which goes back to the days
of Biber.
Many of Vivaldi's concertos have titles; they belong to his most frequently-performed,
such as the Four Seasons or Il Gardellino and La Notte.
Some refer to natural phenomena, others to certain affections. An example
of the latter is L'Amoroso, the title of the Concerto
in E (RV 271). However, even in concertos without a title a particular
movement, mostly the slow movement, can give the impression of expressing
some specific affection. That is the case, for instance, in the largo from
the Concerto in g minor (RV 331).
The fast movements are mostly brilliant and have theatrical traits. However,
in his notes Fertonani points to various movements with lyrical expressiveness,
even in fast movements. Too little of that comes off here. I have heard the
previous three volumes in this series which I generally appreciated, but the
present fourth instalment has disappointed me. Riccardo Minasi too often produces
an aggressive, harsh tone and his playing is often rough and abrasive. Dynamic
accents are an important part of a good interpretation of baroque repertoire
but one should not exaggerate. Exactly that happens here. The solo part often
includes passages with Minasi playing staccato, and I am not sure that this
is what is indicated in the score. Remarkable is the opening movement of the
Concerto in E (RV 263a) whose ritornello is dominated by a sequence
of three chords returning time and again. They should receive dynamic emphasis,
but again I feel that it is overdone here.
Not all is sorrow and misery: the largo from the Concerto in g minor
(RV 327) is nicely done. The disc ends on a positive note with the Concerto
in C (RV 181) which is somewhat different from the rest of the programme.
Here Margret Köll joins the ensemble with her harp and does so to good effect.
I can't say that I am really surprised by Minasi's playing.
I have heard him several times, also in live performances, and he seems to
favour this rather aggressive style. Some may like it, but I certainly don't.
He is certainly a virtuoso but to me it is virtuosity for its own sake. In
the end his performances lack the expressivity even Vivaldi's music
requires. The miking is a bit too close for comfort and rather emphasizes
the shortcomings of the performances.
Johan van Veen
www.musica-dei-donum.org
twitter.com/johanvanveen
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