Europa Unversalis IV

One tends to associate the virtuoso violin repertoire with the 19th century, but in their own way these five sonatas, written between 1714 and 1743, offer an equally dazzling display of speed, facility, bow control and tonal variety. No wonder: the composers were among the foremost violin virtuosos of their time, as well as tireless innovators of technique and style; several even wrote treatises on violin playing. The earliest, and least familiar, is Michele Mascitti, a Neapolitan who moved to Paris when he was 30. His "Psyché," the program's only piece in a major key, is a divertissement in ten short "tableaux" on the theme of Cupid and Psyche, with the violin and continuo as the two protagonists. Refined and elegant, varied in texture, expression and character, it ranges from tender love songs to slow and fast dances, including a wild Badinage.

Famed throughout musical Europe from the 1720s onwards for his extreme prowess on the violin, Pietro Antonio Locatelli (1695-1764) bequeathed to posterity an admirable if relatively small body of work, the publication of which he himself largely oversaw following his move to Amsterdam in 1729. Here Fabio Biondi draws on it to paint a unique portrait. Rather than immersing himself in L’arte del violino, op.3 - the best-known opus of a composer to which they already devoted an initial album in 1995 (Opus 111, OPS30-104) - Biondi and his friends in Europa Galante opt for a more intriguing Locatelli: the six Introduttioni teatrali (Theatrical Introductions) which constitute the first part of the Opus 4.

One tends to associate the virtuoso violin repertoire with the 19th century, but in their own way these five sonatas, written between 1714 and 1743, offer an equally dazzling display of speed, facility, bow control and tonal variety. No wonder: the composers were among the foremost violin virtuosos of their time, as well as tireless innovators of technique and style; several even wrote treatises on violin playing. The earliest, and least familiar, is Michele Mascitti, a Neapolitan who moved to Paris when he was 30… –Edith Eisler

After Handel, Geminiani was among the most prominent foreign musicians to settle in England during the first half of the 18th century. His most celebrated collection of concertos was published in 1732 as his Op. 3. Charles Burney rated them highly and it is easy to see why: they are beautifully crafted pieces modelled, to some extent, on those of his teacher, Corelli. But, in addition to the two violins and cello which form the typical concertino/solo group of the Corellian concerto grosso, Geminiani added a viola to make up a quartet. He was not quite the first to do this, but he was the first to integrate the solo and grosso elements with such finesse.

You say your favorite Vivaldi passage is the Four Seasons summer storm? Well, here's a disc for you. Fabio Biondi and the Europa Galante (known to many for their bestselling Seasons disc) focus on concerti con titoli, the titled concertos the Red Priest wrote that are full of inventive drama and expression. Writing for his student orchestra, the composer employed plenty of creativity in his instrumentation, and, as evidenced on a few tracks here, he wasn't beyond recycling motifs from his older works.

The market is loaded with recordings of Pergolesi's beautiful, graceful "Stabat Mater" and there are also plenty of versions of both "Salve Regina" selections to choose from. The young Pergolesi, who died at age 26, had a flair for the theater and the "Stabat Mater" was often accused of being too operatic. Fabio Biondi presents it (and the other two pieces) without much sentimentality and he uses a vastly reduced orchestra–a mere three violins, viola, cello, double bass, and theorbo (and organ)–which brings the stark religiosity to the forefront. That is not to say that these pieces aren't sensual as well; soprano Dorothea Röschmann's mesmerizing, warm tone and David Daniel's flawless, forwardly placed countertenor are lush enough to create drama of their own.

Thirty-five of Scarlatti’s oratorios are extant, a mere handful yet recorded. Biondi’s championing of them is very welcome, as this excellently recorded disc vividly demonstrates. His sterling research has uncovered date and place (1704, Rome) for the first performance of this mini-drama – the Virgin Mary, single-handedly and contrary to Christian doctrine, defeating the power of Lucifer and sentencing him ‘to eternal weeping and cries of pain’. Two Corelli trio sonatas serve as interludes within the oratorio. Rossana Bertini celebrates the Virgin’s birthday with a lovely fresh voice. Lucifer, unusually tenor rather than bass, is a taxing role – Crispi flags momentarily, though he is agile and well cast.