Concerti da Camera

The CD, unreleased as always, is dedicated to three rare masterpieces by the Taranto composer, of the "Neapolitan school", Giovanni Paisiello and his Concerti n. 6, 7 and 8 for piano and orchestra. They are interpreted by the great Catania pianist Francesco Nicolosi (2nd prize in Geneva, 1980, first not awarded) and the refined Orchestra of the Accademia di Santa Sofia.

Though he called them concertos, Vivaldi’s RV87-108 are basically chamber pieces, comprising obbligato parts for between three to six instruments (mostly winds) plus basso continuo. Of the 22 such concertos attributed to Vivaldi, three are now considered spurious: the remaining 19 have been collected onto CD by a new Italian period-instrument group, Il Giardino Armonico. The vigour, the zest of these performances is infectious. Il Giardino Armonico marry sharp ensembles to breezy tempos and at times a markedly exuberant sense of dynamics. Some may find the results abrasive, but I enjoyed the extra frisson of drama the group extracts from the music.

The refined period performances of Vivaldi's chamber concertos by the fabulous L'Astrée ensemble make this album a delightful experience, and despite Opus 111's questionable packaging, the label deserves high marks for providing exquisite sound quality and for devoting serious attention to a worthy project. Part of a series surveying all the manuscripts in the Vivaldi collection of the National University Library in Turin, this volume presents nine works in various combinations for flute, recorder, oboe, bassoon, violin, cello, theorbo, guitar, and harpsichord. Best-known of the selections is the Concerto in D major, RV 90, "Il gardellino," celebrated for its gentle lyricism and clever mimicry a goldfinch. Also familiar is the Concerto in D major, RV 95, "La pastorella," which features a vivid depiction of a rustic dance in the third movement. The remaining concertos are equally enjoyable, for L'Astrée's vibrant playing and the transparent timbres of its original instruments bring crispness, spontaneity, and even a feeling of novelty to Vivaldi's music.

- -Blair Sanderson

Michala Petri is one of few recorder players in the world to manage making a highly successful career as a soloist, recitalist, and chamber player. She often appears in concert with her husband, Lars Hannibal, a guitarist and lutenist. Petri's repertory is extensive, especially in the Baroque realm with works by J.S. Bach, Telemann, Vivaldi, Handel, Corelli, Sammartini, and many others.

The concertos of Francesco Mancini (1672-1737) recorded here all come from a 1725 manuscript collection now in the Biblioteca del Conservatorio di Musica di Napoli…The collection is entitled "Concerti di Flauto, Violino, Violetta e Basso di Diversi Autori". Interestingly enough, in the individual part-books, the pieces are all called "sonatas". This discrepancy of nomenclature reflects the general fluidity of form throughout the Baroque era. The forms of pieces called "concerto", "quartet", "sonata", "canzona", and "fantasia" were not standardized, and the terms were frequently used interchangeably.

The world premiere recording of Torelli's Triosonatas opus 2 (1686) performed by violinist Pietro Battistoni together with the Rosso Verona Baroque Ensemble. This recording is an important contribution to our appreciation of Torelli as a pivotal chamber music composer.