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Avie Records

Vivaldi - Gods Emperors & Angels

$19.99

Details

Composer
VIVALDI, ANTONIO
Artist
Thorby, Whelan, Struntz, Chandler, La Serenissima
Format
CD
Label
Avie Records
Released
Apr 01, 2010
Catalog #
AV2201
UPC
822252220124

About



VIVALDI Concertos for Various Instruments: RV 86 1 , 163, 271 2 , 312 3 , 445 4 , 482 5 , 500 6 , 526 7 , 530 8 ) • Adrian Chandler, dir 2,7,8 (vn); Pamela Thorby 1,3,4 (rcr); 1,5,6 Peter Whelan (bn); 7,8 Sara Deborah Struntz (vn); La Serenissima (period instruments) • AVIE AV 2201 (72:01)


One of the underlying motifs of this program seems to be Bohemia, which Vivaldi visited in 1730 and where he probably acquired the paper on which some of these concertos are written. This mixed program opens with what must be one of his briefest concertos, RV 163, in B?. Though under four minutes, and with no special solo instrument, it encompasses many of Vivaldi’s salient characteristics: a strong opening theme, a fine melody, and rhythmic surprise. This brief piece is called “Conca,” for reasons Adrian Chandler connects with a Bohemian use of the conch shell to ward off impending storm. The only storm in front of us here, however, is the pleasurable swirl of Vivaldi’s invention.


In 1727–28, Vivaldi wrote two sets of string concertos, both, in the end, called La Cetra (the lyre). One set was published in Amsterdam in 1727 as op. 9 and may have originally been intended for the Holy Roman Emperor, Charles VI, to whom, on a visit to Trieste in 1728, however, he personally gave a manuscript of a set of new concertos. Vivaldi may have been looking for a job, and the emperor was certainly interested, but nothing happened because the emperor died and Vivaldi, having moved to Vienna without a patron, died in poor straits. The ensemble plays one concerto from the published set (RV 530) and two from the manuscript (RV 526 and 271, of which the former had to be reconstructed by Chandler).


The remaining four concertos on this disc use bassoon and recorder for the concerted part. Two of these, however, are single-movement fragments (RV 482 and 312, the latter reconstructed by Chandler). There is also a “sonata” for recorder and bassoon (RV 86).


Numbering 19, La Serenissima is a fairly large band, as early instrumental ensembles go. This gives a pleasant and most-welcome heft to its sound. The soloists are all good and it would be invidious to single out one of them. This is Vivaldi at his most vivacious, but don’t overlook the rightly named “amorous” concerto (RV 271) from the 1728 manuscript with which the program ends. Anyone looking for an introduction to Vivaldi’s instrumental pieces other than The Four Seasons would do well to start here.


FANFARE: Alan Swanson

Tracklist 24 tracks

  1. 1 I. (Allegro) - Allegro molto 01:50
    Track
    1
    Title
    I. (Allegro) - Allegro molto
    Duration
    01:50
    Composer
    Antonio Vivaldi
    Ensemble
    La Serenissima
  2. 2 II. Andante 00:48
    Track
    2
    Title
    II. Andante
    Duration
    00:48
    Composer
    Antonio Vivaldi
    Ensemble
    La Serenissima
  3. 3 III. Allegro 01:12
    Track
    3
    Title
    III. Allegro
    Duration
    01:12
    Composer
    Antonio Vivaldi
    Ensemble
    La Serenissima
  4. 4 I. Allegro 03:34
    Track
    4
    Title
    I. Allegro
    Duration
    03:34
    Composer
    Antonio Vivaldi
    Ensemble
    La Serenissima
  5. 5 II. Largo e spiccato 03:07
    Track
    5
    Title
    II. Largo e spiccato
    Duration
    03:07
    Composer
    Antonio Vivaldi
    Ensemble
    La Serenissima
  6. 6 III. Allegro 02:48
    Track
    6
    Title
    III. Allegro
    Duration
    02:48
    Composer
    Antonio Vivaldi
    Ensemble
    La Serenissima
  7. 7 I. Allegro 03:26
    Track
    7
    Title
    I. Allegro
    Duration
    03:26
    Composer
    Antonio Vivaldi
    Ensemble
    La Serenissima
  8. 8 II. Largo 03:25
    Track
    8
    Title
    II. Largo
    Duration
    03:25
    Composer
    Antonio Vivaldi
    Ensemble
    La Serenissima
  9. 9 III. Allegro 03:01
    Track
    9
    Title
    III. Allegro
    Duration
    03:01
    Composer
    Antonio Vivaldi
    Ensemble
    La Serenissima
  10. 10 I. Allegro 04:19
    Track
    10
    Title
    I. Allegro
    Duration
    04:19
    Composer
    Antonio Vivaldi
    Ensemble
    La Serenissima
  11. 11 II. Larghetto 02:53
    Track
    11
    Title
    II. Larghetto
    Duration
    02:53
    Composer
    Antonio Vivaldi
    Ensemble
    La Serenissima
  12. 12 III. (Allegro) 03:17
    Track
    12
    Title
    III. (Allegro)
    Duration
    03:17
    Composer
    Antonio Vivaldi
    Ensemble
    La Serenissima
  13. 13 I. Allegro 03:21
    Track
    13
    Title
    I. Allegro
    Duration
    03:21
    Composer
    Antonio Vivaldi
    Ensemble
    La Serenissima
  14. 14 II. Largo 02:13
    Track
    14
    Title
    II. Largo
    Duration
    02:13
    Composer
    Antonio Vivaldi
    Ensemble
    La Serenissima
  15. 15 III. Allegro 02:54
    Track
    15
    Title
    III. Allegro
    Duration
    02:54
    Composer
    Antonio Vivaldi
    Ensemble
    La Serenissima
  16. 16 I. Largo 03:38
    Track
    16
    Title
    I. Largo
    Duration
    03:38
    Composer
    Antonio Vivaldi
    Ensemble
    La Serenissima
  17. 17 II. Allegro 02:26
    Track
    17
    Title
    II. Allegro
    Duration
    02:26
    Composer
    Antonio Vivaldi
    Ensemble
    La Serenissima
  18. 18 III. Largo cantabile 02:38
    Track
    18
    Title
    III. Largo cantabile
    Duration
    02:38
    Composer
    Antonio Vivaldi
    Ensemble
    La Serenissima
  19. 19 IV. Allegro molto 02:01
    Track
    19
    Title
    IV. Allegro molto
    Duration
    02:01
    Composer
    Antonio Vivaldi
    Ensemble
    La Serenissima
  20. 20 Concerto for bassoon in D Minor, RV 482: Allegro molto (fragment) 02:46
    Track
    20
    Title
    Concerto for bassoon in D Minor, RV 482: Allegro molto (fragment)
    Duration
    02:46
    Composer
    Antonio Vivaldi
    Ensemble
    La Serenissima
  21. 21 Recorder Concerto in G Major, RV 312: I. Allegro molto (reconstructed by A. Chandler) 03:39
    Track
    21
    Title
    Recorder Concerto in G Major, RV 312: I. Allegro molto (reconstructed by A. Chandler)
    Duration
    03:39
    Composer
    Antonio Vivaldi
    Ensemble
    La Serenissima
  22. 22 I. Allegro 04:35
    Track
    22
    Title
    I. Allegro
    Duration
    04:35
    Composer
    Antonio Vivaldi
    Ensemble
    La Serenissima
  23. 23 II. Largo 02:57
    Track
    23
    Title
    II. Largo
    Duration
    02:57
    Composer
    Antonio Vivaldi
    Ensemble
    La Serenissima
  24. 24 III. Allegro (cadenza by A. Chandler) 04:13
    Track
    24
    Title
    III. Allegro (cadenza by A. Chandler)
    Duration
    04:13
    Composer
    Antonio Vivaldi
    Ensemble
    La Serenissima