In the early 18th century
Veracini was considered one of Italy's
most important and brilliant violinists.
But he has gone down in history first
and foremost as an eccentric and a rather
arrogant personality.
Charles Burney wrote
about the difference between Tartini
(two years Veracini's junior) and Veracini:
"Tartini was so humble and timid, that
he was never happy but in obscurity;
while Veracini was so foolishly vain-glorious
as frequently to boast that there was
but one God, and one Veracini." There
are enough reasons to believe Burney
wasn't exaggerating in calling Veracini
arrogant. He named his two violins St
Peter and St Paul, and wasn't afraid
of 'improving' Corelli's Sonatas opus
5. In 1722, while living in Dresden,
he fell out of a window and claimed
this was an attempt to kill him out
of jealousy although it is generally
assumed that he tried to commit suicide,
being in a state of depression.
Not that there wasn't
any reason to be jealous. When he came
to Dresden in 1717 to become part of
the musical establishment he was considerably
better paid than brilliant musicians
and composers like Pisendel, Pezold
and Zelenka. At that time he had already
made his name. He had played in several
cities in Italy, in particular Venice
and Florence, and travelled abroad,
performing during the intervals of operas
at the King's Theatre in London in 1714
and spending some time at the court
of the Elector Palatine of the Rhine,
Johann Wilhelm, in Düsseldorf.
Among Veracini's most
important works are his six Overtures,
which were not published, but probably
composed in 1716. It is assumed these
were the main reason Veracini was invited
to Dresden. Here the first set of sonatas
for violin and basso continuo was published
in 1721, the first six of which are
played on this disc. It was published
as his opus 1, although in 1716 a set
of 12 sonatas for recorder and basso
continuo had been printed.
Whereas Veracini was
known for the virtuosity of his playing,
the violin sonatas played here are rather
modest in that respect. The set is divided
into six 'sonate da chiesa' and six
'sonate da camera'. On this disc the
Sonatas I and VI are of the first, the
Sonatas II to V of the second category.
The latter usually contain four movements
(only Sonata II has five), and start
with a Preludio.
The Sonata I opens
with a French overture - here divided
over tracks 1 and 2 -, probably under
the influence of the French taste which
was dominant in Dresden. Perhaps Veracini
had also become acquainted with the
German 'stylus fantasticus' during his
time in Dresden. In particular the last
movement of the first sonata reminds
me of the violin music written by representatives
of the German violin school in the second
half of the 17th century.
I am generally very
pleased with the performances on this
disc. Enrico Casazza is a very good
player, who captures the character of
these sonatas well, and also exploits
the contrasts between and within the
movements convincingly. Only now and
then I would have liked him to play
with a little more boldness, for example
in the overture of the first sonata,
where the contrasts could have been
stronger and more pronounced.
Highlights include
the sarabanda of the Sonata IV, which
is one of the most expressive movements
on this disc, as well as the allegro
which follows it. And then there is
the Sonata VI, with a beautiful pastorale
and a closing giga, which is dominated
by echo effects. The tempo choices are
very satisfying, for example in the
preludio of the Sonata V, which is marked
'andante'. Casazza rightly doesn’t interpret
it as a slow movement, but rather as
just a little slower than allegro.
To sum up: this is
fine music, very well played by Enrico
Casazza, with outstanding support from
Francesco Ferrarini and Roberto Loreggian.
Let us hope the remaining six sonatas
shall be released in due course.
Johan van Veen
Enrico Casazza, violin; Francesco Ferrarini,
cello; Roberto Loreggian, harpsichord 
for
details
