Giuseppe VALENTINI (1681-1753)
Concerti grossi Op.7 (1710)
Concerto for 4 violins in A minor, op. 7 No. 11 [19:12]
Concerto Grosso in G major, op. 7 No. 7 [7:43]
Concerto Grosso in D minor, op. 7 No. 2 [11:32]
Concerto Grosso in D minor, op. 7 No. 3 [9:50]
Concerto Grosso in A major, op. 7 No. 1 [15:55]
Concerto Grosso in A minor, op. 7 No. 10 [10:06]
Ensemble 415/Chiara Banchini
rec. 2001, Fresne-le-Chbteau, France.
ALPHA CLASSICS 310 [74:18]
This recording is a re-release of a disc that was also included in a box
set called
Italiane Baroque (see
review). The original CD appeared on Zig-Zag Territoires
and came highly recommended by Jonathan Rohr (see
review). The producers have every right to be proud of this
recording, and it is now volume 11 of the Alpha Collection with its
distinctive red-themed artwork. These are packaged in slimline foldout
sleeves but with full booklet notes, in this case in French and German as
well as English. The notes in this case take the form of a new interview
with Chiara Banchini, who tells us a little about Valentini the
violinist-composer, and the distinction made between him and
composer-violinists such as Vivaldi. Further reading elsewhere will tell you
he was nicknamed
Straccioncino or Little Ragamuffin, and that he
was successor to Corelli as director of the concertino at San Luigi dei
Francesci in Rome from 1710 to 1741.
There are some similarities with Vivaldi in this music, but there are also
plenty of striking differences and harmonic gestures that Vivaldi would
never have used. These are at once arguably on the naove side, but at the
same time are features that make this recording something to which you will
want to return time and time again. The
Concerto No. 11 is
entertainingly poetic and zippy by turns, and if you love Vivaldis
Four
Seasons then this will be your kind of CD. Movements such as the
Fuga from the
Concerto No. 7 make you glad to be alive, as
do the chasing echoes of the
Allegro assai final movement of this
concerto the harmonic progressions in which are the kind of completely
bonkers feature that will make you want to play it again just to make sure
it wasnt your imagination. The same goes for those unexpected sliding
modulations in the
Allegro third movement of the
Concerto No.
2, and so we go from delight to delight.
This mixture of elegance and idiosyncratic oddness is performed with crisp
freshness by Ensemble 415, and this is helped by a generally improvisatory
attitude to solo parts, an aspect elaborated on by Banchini in the booklet.
There is bags of virtuosity on display, but this is always in the service of
the music. Stunning solo playing such as that in the remarkable
Allegro second movement of the
Concerto No. 3 creates a
compulsive flow that takes flight and lifts your soul to new heights. The
slow movements can take the form more of delicious intermezzi, but more
extended examples such as the opening and indeed the third movement of the
Concerto No. 1 have a special character all of their own. I also
love the rustic feel of that
Affettuoso last movement.
The sense of discovery is palpable throughout this recording, and I was
surprised to find how little there is by way of competition in this
repertoire. Weve had well over a decade since the original release of this
recording, and I cant imagine why there arent more performers queuing up
to make their own versions of these striking concerti. I would certainly be
looking out for a complete
Opus 7 set if one were to become
available.
Dominy Clements
