Antonio VIVALDI (1678-1741)
La Stravaganza - Six Concertos for violin, strings (edition
John Walsh, London, 1728)
Concerto in B flat major, RV 383a [7:16]
Concerto in E minor, RV 279 [9:55]
Concerto in A minor, RV 357 [7:37]
Concerto in F major, RV 284 [6:45]
Concerto in D major, RV 204 [5:53]
Concerto in F major, RV 291 [8:44]
Concerto for violin, cello and strings in F major, RV 544 Il Proteo
o sia Il mondo alrovescio (Proteus, or the world upside-down)
[10:14]
Europa Galante/Fabio Biondi (violin)
rec. 17-23 December 2008, Biblioteca del Monastero di San Giovanni Evangelista,
Parma, Italy
VIRGIN CLASICS 5193002 [56:26]
Vivaldi’s collection of twelve violin concertos La Stravaganza,
Op. 4is astonishing for its wide variety of solo and orchestral colouring
and technical range. Published in 1714 Vivaldi strikes out with his own individual
style abandoning much of the inspiration of Corelli and the Roman school.
Rachel Podger, the baroque violinist and period instrument ensemble director,
has stated that in La Stravaganza she was, “full of wonder
at Vivaldi’s seemingly endless capacity for invention.” and
how “Vivaldi uses melodic figurations in many remarkable ways.”
England’s leading music publisher John Walsh became London agent to
Vivaldi’s principal publisher Estienne Roger of Amsterdam. Initially
Walsh had fallen out with Roger over accusations of plagiarism. Their relationship
clearly improved as from around 1715 Walsh started publishing a number of
important volumes of Vivaldi’s music commencing with L’Estro
armonico,Op.3. In an attempt to satisfy the demand for Vivaldi’s
music some years later in 1728 Walsh issued a London edition of La Stravaganza
by taking five concertos from the Op. 4 set of twelve. For his London edition
Walsh selected the concertos from the Op. 4 set that he felt his London audience
would prefer. He ignored the more virtuosic concertos of the set such as No.
8 choosing Nos 1, 2, 4, 9 and 11 which were the ones he considered closest
to the Concerto Grosso style that often included a second or ‘shadow’
violin part. At that time audiences expected their editions in sets of six
and as Walsh had already done a marketing trial by issuing No. 5 of the Op.
4 set at an earlier date he didn’t want to duplicate that. So Walsh
added a sixth concerto to his edition, the Concerto in F major, RV
291. Doubts have been expressed about the authorship of the F major Concerto,
RV 291; it may not be by Vivaldi. It wouldn’t have been the first time
that Walsh had made a mistake whilst assembling a collection of Vivaldi scores.
Biondi and Europa Galante have here recorded the six concertos from Walsh’s
English edition of La Stravaganza. To increase the timing they have
included a seventh score the Concerto for violin, cello and strings in
F major, RV 544. Europa Galante is one of several outstanding specialist
period instrument ensembles that have come to prominence on the early music
scene in the last decade. These specialist players explore and exploit the
strength of their period instruments rather than being restricted by the weaknesses.
On this release at their best I especially enjoyed their Concerto in B
flat major, RV 383a with its exhilarating played opening Allegro.
A plaintive violin solo in the Largo e cantabile features over a clock-like
rhythm followed by the furiously paced and energetic closing Allegro.The
inspiration is variable and the level of memorability is often limited. A
good example of this is the Concerto in F major, RV 291 that opens
with a frantic violin solo in a movement that outstays its welcome. The very
short central Larghetto is a rather forgettable with a rhythmically
determined closing Allegro that feels breathlessly frantic.
By selecting the London edition Biondi misses out on seven of the original
set which contain some exceptional music. The Concerto in F major,
Op. 4/9 is a favourite. I love the infectious foot-tapping and trotting pace
of the opening Allegro. In the central slow movement the agitated solo
violin set against a gentle rocking rhythm is most engaging concluding with
a striking and vivacious Allegro. Best of all has to be the meltingly
beautiful Largo from the Concerto in D major, Op. 4/11 which
is simply irresistible. It’s a candidate for Vivaldi’s greatest
hits.
There have not been all that many versions of the complete twelve concerto
La Stravaganza recorded over the years. Consequently it has remained
in the shadow of L’Estro armonico, Il Cimento dell’armonia
e dell’inventione and to a lesser degree La Cetra.
The finest alternative recording in the catalogue of the complete La Stravaganza
is the superb 2002 Goscikowo-Paradyz, Poland account from Arte Dei Suonatori
directed by Rachel Podger (baroque violin) on Channel Classics CCS 19598.
Podger’s playing swings effortlessly from exciting and powerful, to
sensitive and poignant, yet remains constantly stylish and polished. Using
period instruments they provide intensely committed, ardently expressive and
exhilarating accounts. In that marvellously presented release the engineers
at Channel Classics furnish top-class sound; the annotation is excellent too.
Other period instrument accounts of the complete La Stravaganza are
available from Neville Marriner directing the Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields
from 1975 on Decca 444821 and Christopher Hogwood with the Academy of Ancient
Music from 1987 on L'Oiseau Lyre 417-502. The more recent accounts from Biondi
and Podger make the versions from the ASMF/Marriner and the AAM/Hogwood seem
pale, a touch lacklustre and somewhat academic and mechanical.
Europa Galante are in exhilarating form. With speeds feeling rather quick
I would have preferred a little more restraint in the Allegros. For
this reason the judiciously paced Podger accounts reign supreme. With regard
to sound Europa Galante’s pounding ground bass felt rather too far forward
and in the Double Concerto, RV 544 the solo cello feels somewhat recessed.
I wanted to hear more of the complete set and I am rather disappointed that
Biondi chose not to record all twelve. Nevertheless, this is exciting music-making
and the release is highly desirable.
Michael Cookson
Exciting music-making … highly desirable.