Vivaldi 12 Sonatas

Antonio Vivaldi's six sonatas for cello and continuo were written between 1720 and 1730 and published in Paris in 1740 by Leclerc and Boivin. Although a staple of the cello repertoire, these works are not often played in public recitals. When they were composed, the cello was just emerging as a solo instrument, and Vivaldi took full advantage of the instrument's expressive capabilities. These performances feature soloist Jean-Guihen Queyras, accompanied by a continuo team of harpsichordist Michael Behringer, lutenist Lee Santana and cellist Christoph Dangel.

For several decades beginning in the 1950's I Musici was the leading ensemble specializing in Italian Baroque music, and their performances were standard-setting in their time. Their recordings still hold up exceptionally well even though approaches to early music, driven by the period instrument revolution, have changed somewhat since then.

We are so used to the absolute stylistic assurance of Vivaldi's music, that coming face-to-face with his tentative apprentice-piece is something of a shock. In his 12 Op. 1 Trio Sonatas, first published in 1705, the young Vivaldi shows himself to be an unashamed neo-Corellian. There would be scant interest in these works today if they were merely slavish imitations. But of course they're not. Vivaldi takes Corelli's forms and vocabulary and moves them on a stage.

Antonio Vivaldi composed several sonatas for cello and continuo. A set of six cello sonatas, written between 1720 and 1730, was published in Paris in 1740. He wrote at least four other cello sonatas, with two manuscripts kept in Naples, another in Wiesentheid, and one known to be lost.

This CD presents violin sonatas dedicated by Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741) to German violinist and composer Johann Georg Pisendel (1678-1755). The manuscripts of the works come from the library of the Dresden Court Orchestra to which Pisendel himself made regular contributions in the course of 30 years.

The growing catalogue of Platti albums on Brilliant Classics includes his Cello Concertos (BC94722), his keyboard works (BC95118) and a first recording of chamber music (BC94007). Taken together they paint a vivid and engaging portrait of an 18th-century musician/composer who came to exercise on generations of composers writing for the cello. Platti himself was proficient on several instruments but he retained a special affection for the cello, producing as many as 28 cello concertos – even more than Vivaldi – and other works including the 12 accompanied cello sonatas on this album. These are divided into two groups of six, both dated 1725 – just a few years after Bach’s cello suites.

18th-century Venetian sonatas for flute and recorder in opulently scored, historically informed performances.