Inventive, aromatic and breezy.

As the recording date suggests, this disc is a reissue. It was originally released by Italian label Dynamic in 1995 (CDS111) as the first of three Boccherini volumes by the Venezia (or Venice) Quartet. At the time this was the Quartet's first commercial recording, and the first of ten for the label, including for example the complete quartets of Malipiero.
 
Happily, the Quartet are still making music - these days they even have their own Facebook page! - with three of the four musicians here still going strong in 2012, Giancarlo di Vacri having replaced Luca Morassutti as violist in 2010. Perhaps their most significant recording in recent years was the complete quartets of Luigi Cherubini on 3 CDs for Decca (476 3604, 2010). It should be said that none of this information is available in the accompanying booklet, which for some reason eschews performer biographies. Nor will it be found on Dynamic's less than exemplary website - the "online catalogue" promised in the booklet lists nearly 400 items but they can only be viewed ten at a time scrolling down through a small window! There is therefore no news there as to why this CD has been re-released now, other than that it constitutes Volume 27 in an apparently random series entitled 'Delizie Musicali' ('Musical Delights'). The original disc is still widely available on the internet.
 
Nevertheless, the Dynamic catalogue is laden with musical delights, and Boccherini's op.8 falls easily into that category. As far as his Quartets go, this set is inexplicably neglected, having been only rarely recorded. Spanish label Columna Música issued the Artaria Quartet's account of them only two years ago (1CM0221, two CDs), but there is little other competition, not even at the individual quartet level. This, then, counts as an important recording for string quartet lovers everywhere.
 
The first Quartet in D gets straight down to the business of being inventive, aromatic and breezy. The Venezia Quartet are in their element for the next 75 minutes, turning on the style and, taking full advantage of Boccherini's predilection for demonstrative markings in the scores - the second movement of the A major Quartet is marked 'Amoroso', for example - the expressive phrasing to communicate Boccherini's mellifluous, immaculately fashioned ideas. Boccherini was a renowned cellist, and he unsurprisingly gives his instrument a lot of virtuosic turns. Actually these are 'new school' Quartets, where the parts are divided fairly and squarely, and all four members of the Venezia get plenty of time in the sun. Boccherini's elegance is more than skin-deep, though, and the lively, witty radiance for which he is rightly famed alternates frequently with sections or indeed whole movements that are more introverted, darker, serene.
 
Sound quality is good for the mid-Nineties - just a little raw-edged by current standards, but nevertheless perfectly acceptable. Dynamic's booklets are a bit hit-and-miss: sometimes they are quite good, other times rather too minimalist. Love it or leave it, the cover graphic is by Martha Pilarz, no doubt related to Daniela Pilarz, Dynamic's resident translator. The brief notes are by the now-deceased Paganini authority Edward Neill, Italian despite his name, and whose own label morphed into Dynamic in the late 1970s. Daniela's translation into English does have a few odd turns of phrase as usual, as well as one or two errors, both by translator - such as "Mittleuropean" for 'central European' - and, presumably, by Neill, who states that Mozart was fifteen in 1769.
 
-- Byzantion, MusicWeb International

"[This disc] offers a slightly odd but still very enjoyable selection of Boccherini—timed, no doubt, for the 250th anniversary this year. The two symphonies are late works, the D major a single-movement piece of the Italian overture type, with a slow movement embedded, the C minor his most 'symphonic' work in the Viennese-classical sense of the term. Jeanne Lamon directs lively performances with this excellent Canadian group. The D major she takes rather quickly, producing that sense of tension that arises when music is pushed a little beyond its natural pace; but the effect is energetic and inspiriting (and it is marked con molto spirito). The Andantino is more relaxed, its colours happily realized. In the C minor work she presses the minuet too much, I think (true, it's marked Allegro), for it to make its points properly, but the fine first movement is direct and unaffected, and its close symphonic argument comes across well, while the finale is splendidly fiery.

Anner Bylsma plays the two concertos, neither of them among the better known of Boccherini's, in characteristic fashion, dashing into the music with his usual sense of fresh discovery and uninhibited enthusiasm. Some might prefer more measured performances, but the intensity of his involvement does draw the listener in, and his bouncing rhythms show an infectious pleasure in the music. The odd rough moment is a modest price to pay. He takes both the slow movements very slowly, surprisingly so, for this runs against the grain of fashion, not to say informed opinion, in the early music world. That of the D major is however rapt in expression, with Bylsma's eloquent line (the phrases in rapid notes are thrown off like little sprigs of decoration) and Tafelmusik's soft and sensitive accompaniment. The C major is a less impressive piece and there must be some doubt about its complete authenticity, at least in this form (who ever heard of a concerto in C with a slow movement in D?); Bylsma contributes some curious, almost trumpet-like tone in the first movement, and plays an extremely odd cadenza.

In fact, the work I enjoyed most of all, and for which I shall treasure this CD in particular, is the Octet, one of a group of late chamber works for mixed combinations which haven't been, but should be, available on records. It is a charming and leisurely piece, exquisitely scored, with one of those seductive minuets bearing Boccherini's most personal stamp—exquisitely scored, gently witty, with a hint of nostalgia and pain lurking somewhere behind the notes. That, at any rate, is how I hear it, and I find it wholly beguiling."

-- Stanley Sadie, Gramophone [7/1993]

For the setting of the contemplative but highly emotional text of the medieval sequence Stabat mater Boccherini chose an intimate chamber music instrumentation of soprano and string quintet (in his preferred instrumentation with two violins, viola and two cellos). The five string instruments are not only accompaniment, but together with the singing voice they transform into one instrument section, so that one can speak of a sextet for singing voice and string quintet. With the angelic singing of Núria Rial, the work becomes a real treat for lovers of beautiful voices and chamber music lovers alike. Nuria Rial studied voice and piano in her native Catalonia and was a member of Kurt Widmer's class at the Basel Academy of Music. In 2003, she was awarded the "Preis der Helvetia Patria Jeunesse Stiftung" by the Pro Europa - for her exceptional achievements as a singer. She has performed at all the leading music festivals in Europe and collaborates with such conductors as Ivan Fischer, Sir John Eliot Gardiner, Paul Goodwin, Trevor Pinnock, and Teodor Currentzis as well as notable ensembles, including Concerto Köln, The English Concert, Kammerorchester Basel, Collegium 1704, Il Giardino Armonico, Les Musiciens du Louvre, Elbipolis Barockorchester, Le Cetra Basel and L’Arpeggiata, Festival Lucerne Strings.

These quintets come from a set of six in a Madrid manuscript with an attribution to Boccherini: they are not in Boccherini’s own catalogue of his works, which doesn’t necessarily exclude their authenticity (he noted in it most of his true chamber music, though not the cello sonatas or the keyboard ones); they sound as if they date from the 1780s, and the presence of an obbligato cello part does of course imply at least some link with him. This is claimed as their world premiere recording.

They are very agreeable and on the whole deftly written pieces, but to my mind don’t quite have the ring of his style: their formal regularity, their sometimes motivic writing (the first movement of the G major work, for example), and the frequent spells of rather routine invention argue against his authorship, as does the three-movement form (he preferred, oddly, two-movement opere piccole or four-movement opere grande), the absence of minuets (a movement type he patently relished) and the presence of three very schematic variation finales (a type he avoided). The compiler of the Boccherini thematic catalogue thought that they had “formulas and turns of style which are characteristic of him”, on reading through the parts, but since he evidently didn’t notice that they were for flute, violin, viola and two cellos (as opposed to flute and string quartet) I am inclined to think the reading-through wasn’t too rigorous.

By Boccherini or not, they make pleasant listening. They don’t demand that special affection for detail or feeling for texture that the most characteristic Boccherini needs, and respond well to these direct, modern performances, neatly phrased, the dialogues gracefully executed. The first cellist, who has several flights into the upper reaches of his instrument, is very assured, and there is also the particular pleasure of Jean-Pierre Rampal’s flute playing, as urbane as ever.

-- Stanley Sadie. Gramophone [8/1998]

This Zig-Zag Territoires release, a second collaboration between the label and cellist Marco Ceccato (the first, Vivaldi, highly praised), focusing on Luigi Boccherini, illustrates two important aspects of output. The two quintets and the divertimento feature the combination of the string quartet - of which Boccherini was, in a way, a co-founder with Haydn - with guitar and flute respectively; on the other, the cello, of which he was a leading exponent. His use of the guitar and flute's sound capabilities is always a delight; the Cello Concerto in G major a summary of virtuosity and lyricism.

The Oratorio Gioas re di Giuda, “a Sacred Drama,” was probably the first important symphonic-choral work by Boccherini, composed during the years 1764-1765 for performances in Lucca, the musician’s native town. After his studies in Rome and his successes in Vienna, where his brother GianGastone worked as a dancer and also as librettist for Haydn, Boccherini returned to Lucca and applied to join the Cappella Palatina. Shortly afterwards, Boccherini again began touring Europe in a Duo together with his friend Filippo Manfredi, concertmaster of the Lucca orchestra: they went first to Genoa- where evidence suggests performances of his first two oratorios- then to Paris and finally Madrid. Metastasio’s libretto for Gioas is based on one of the numerous struggles for the control of Jerusalem. Athalia usurps power after having assassinated David’s last descendants. Saved by a miracle, the youngest one, Joash, is reared in the temple by the wife of Jehoiada, the high priest. The drama opens when Ismael (one of the Levite leaders) is informed of the plan to overthrow the usurper. At the same time Athalia, with the help of her minister, Mattan, summons Sebia, unfortunate mother of the victims, in the hope of convincing her to present a false heir to the people of Israel. In Part Two, Jehoiada succeeds in thwarting the evil plan of treacherous Athalia and her wicked counselor, Mattan. Jehoiada finally overthrows the tyrants and offers Joash the throne to great jubilation of the people.

Luigi Boccherini’s contemporaries ranked him with Joseph Haydn, but during later times the high esteem enjoyed by his music faded – when everything of Italian origin that was not an opera was generally dismissed. The young musicians of Scala köln believe that it is high time to reopen Boccherini’s case and are now presenting the results of their new investigation: a delightful program demonstrating that Boccherini’s treasure trove holds more in store than just his famous Minuet. The musicians of Scala koln, led by the violinist Christoph Mayer and the oboist Monika Nielen, bring this music to the stage in fresh new interpretations that are historically informed and feature period instruments. The mixed instrumentation with winds and strings comes with a guarantee of richly varied listening pleasure- boredom is absolutely out of the question!

REVIEWS:
"...The concertos are fascinating works, written for the composer's own use, exploiting the possibilities of the instrument fully....Tim Hugh...is very polished and confident and not afraid to put some feeling into his work. His tone is superb..." - American Record Guide (7-8/00, p.96)

Published in Paris in 1768, the Sei Sonate, Op. 5 (G 25-30), are Boccherini's first compositions for keyboard, probably inspired by the playing of their dedicatee Mme. Brillon de Jouy, who Charles Burney considered to be one of the greatest keyboard players in Europe at that time. Boccherini met her while staying in Paris in 1767-1768 (from whence he had intended to go to London). This intimate friend of Benjamin Franklin Owned several harpsichords and 'new' pianos, including one sent from London by Johann Christian Bach, similar to the square piano made by Frederick Beck recorded here. Violinist Liana Mosca began studying her instrument at the Suzuki Talent Center in Turin. She received her degree at the Milan Conservatory, and began winning international competitions in 1987. She has recorded for several labels, and currently teaches at the Accademia Suzuki in Turin and is a Teacher Trainer with the Italian Suzuki Institute.

Including recently discovered works recorded here for the first time. Première Recording* For the first release, Cello Classics has chosen to bring out something of a coup, in hitherto unplayed works by the first great composer for the cello to achieve universal recognition, Luigi Boccherini. Three of the sonatas on this disc have been obtained from manuscripts until recently in a private collection, and provide a wonderful addition to the classical cello repertoire. Sebastian Comberti has been involved in the period instrument revival in London since the early 1980s and has made the study of late 18th Century cello repertoire something of a speciality. This recording has been made using original instruments with a continuo team unusually comprising archlute/guitar and cello, providing a rich and yet light accompaniment to these delightful works. It is bound to be of interest to lovers of the cello and scholars alike