Vivaldi Naive Violin

Antonio Vivaldi - Concerti per Fagotto III
Sergio Azzolini, fagotto / L'Aura Soave Cremona / Diego Cantalupi
EAC+LOG+CUE | FLAC: 312 MB | Full Artwork: 95 MB | 5% Recovery Info
Label/Cat#: Naive # OP 30539 | Country/Year: France 2012
Genre: Classical | Style: Baroque

"…Azzolini is one of the most brilliant players of the baroque bassoon these days. It is telling that the previous two volumes with bassoon concertos were also performed by him, whereas in the series of discs with violin concertos the solo parts are allocated to various violinists. However, it is not just his virtuosity which is impressive. In the slow movements he shows his capabilities in the realm of expression. The ensemble L'Aura Soave Cremona operates on the same wavelength. In previous volumes I found their playing sometimes a bit abrasive, even aggressive. That isn't the case here. The contrasts in Vivaldi's concertos are emphasized through the choice of tempi: in the slow movements the tempi are usually very slow, and are performed with great intensity…" ~musicweb-international

Naïve releases the third volume dedicated to Vivaldi’s violin concertos in its ground breaking project, the Vivaldi Edition. Multi award-winning violinist Duilio Galfetti is accompanied by acclaimed early music ensemble I Barocchisti under the direction of Diego Fasolis.

The concertos included in Enrico Onofri’s collection for Naïve constitute the first volume of Vivaldi’s violin concertos in the Tesori del Piemonte series; the booklet lists the release as Volume 30 in that series, but the jewel box identifies it as Volume 29. Two of the concertos, RV 208 and RV 234, appear in Viktoria Mullova’s collection on Onyx 4001, with Il Giardino Armonico, an ensemble with which Onofri has also been associated. Whereas Il Giardino Armonico begins the “Grosso mogul” with bow strokes resembling crackling gunshots, the Academia Montis Regalis produces more insinuating, less percussive sonorities. But Onofri’s boldly slashing entrance commands greater attention—and holds it, despite his frequently whining tone production—through the recitative-like slow movement with its swirling figuration and the finale’s stunning cadenza (there’s one in the first movement as well). The Concerto, RV 332, published in Vivaldi’s op. 8, bears a similarity to the others in Naïve’s collection due to its cadenza-like figuration and its recitative-like slow movement. Onofri makes the most of its virtuosic possibilities.

This is the 49th title in the Vivaldi Edition and the 5th volume, out of approximately 12, of the series dedicated to the violin concertos whose manuscripts are held in the National Library of Turin. All the concertos selected here are linked to German violinist Johann Georg Pisendel, member of the Dresden orchestra, who spent time in Venice in 1716-17, with the Electoral Prince of Saxony Friedrich August. Vivaldi and Pisendel became very close friends and the Red Priest composed several works for Pisendel.

With this release, France's Naïve label continues its series of complete recordings of a set of rediscovered Vivaldi manuscripts housed at the National Library of Turin in Italy. Naïve is not usually given to this kind of completist enterprise, but each of these albums has been at least interesting, and some of them seem likely to permanently remake the general Vivaldi repertory as the works played seep into it. This album belongs to the latter group.

This is Vivaldi's second opera (at least that we know of), performed for the first time in 1714, the same year that his amazing set of 12 violin concertos called "La stravaganza" appeared. Already known as a knockout composer for violin, Vivaldi clearly had no intention of disappointing those who admired him for his string writing just because he was becoming a composer of operas–and anyone listening to Orlando finto pazzo will have to notice the virtuoso string playing in addition to the outrageous demands made on the singers. Argillano's first aria, sung with amazing speed and subtlety by mezzo Manuela Custer, ends with a violin cadenza that's so remarkable that the audience at the time must have been left (as we are) breathless.