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Pietro Antonio Locatelli 1695–1764 Compact Disc 1
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64’00
1 2 3 4 5
Concerto Grosso in F Op.1 No.1 I. Allegro II. Largo III. Allegro IV. Largo V. Allegro
1’38 0’59 1’35 2’35 2’09
6 7 8 9 10
Concerto Grosso in C minor Op.1 No.2 I. Adagio II. Allegro III. Largo IV. Allegro V. Allegro
3’00 2’20 1’49 1’22 2’13
11 12 13 14 15
Concerto Grosso in B flat Op.1 No.3 I. Largo II. Allegro III. Largo – Allegro IV. Vivace V. Allegro
2’58 1’49 2’29 3’45 2’26
16 17 18 19
Concerto Grosso in E minor Op.1 No.4 I. Adagio II. Allegro III. Largo IV. Allegro
3’35 1’50 2’22 2’16
20 21 22 23
Concerto Grosso in D Op.1 No.5 I. Largo II. Allegro III. Largo IV. Allegro
2’20 1’49 2’50 2’10
24 25 26 27
Concerto Grosso in C minor Op.1 No.6 I. Adagio II. Allegro III. Largo IV. Allegro
4’10 1’59 2’12 2’42
Igor Ruhadze solo violin I & leader Daria Gorban solo violin II Annemarie Kosten-Dür (1–5), Ivan Iliev (6–27) solo viola Paulina Ptak solo cello
Compact Disc 2
67’32
1 2 3
Concerto Grosso in F Op.1 No.7 I. Allegro II. Largo III. Allegro
2’13 3’51 2’29
4 5 6 7 8
Concerto Grosso in F minor Op.1 No.8 I. Largo II. Grave III. Vivace IV. Grave V. Largo andante
1’47 3’03 1’48 3’03 4’40
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9 VI. Andante 10 VII. Pastorale: Largo andante
11 12 13 14 15
Concerto Grosso in D Op.1 No.9 I. Allegro II. Largo III. Allemanda: Allegro IV. Sarabanda: Largo V. Allegro
16 17 18 19
Concerto Grosso in C Op.1 No.10 I. Largo II. Allemanda: Allegro III. Largo – Andante IV. Vivace
20 21 22 23
Concerto Grosso in C minor Op.1 No.11 I. Largo II. Allemanda: Allegro III. Sarabanda: Largo IV. Giga: Allegro Igor Ruhadze solo violin I & leader Daria Gorban solo violin II Zdenka Prochazkova (1–10) solo viola I Ivan Iliev (1–10) solo viola II, (11–19) solo viola Annemarie Kosten-Dür (20–23) solo viola Paulina Ptak solo cello
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1’48 4’34
2’06 1’31 3’01 3’23 3’15
3’30 1’43 3’45 2’51
4’36 2’31 3’09 2’26
Compact Disc 3
61’25
1 2 3 4 5
Concerto Grosso in G minor Op.1 No.12 I. Largo II. Allemanda: Allegro III. Sarabanda: Vivace IV. Presto V. Gavotta: Allegro
2’42 1’32 2’09 1’16 2’06
6 7 8
Introduzione Teatrale in D Op.4 No.1 I. Allegro II. Allegro III. Presto
1’44 1’43 2’09
Introduzione Teatrale in F Op.4 No.2 9 I. Allegro 10 II. Andante 11 III. Allegro
2’30 2’03 2’18
Introduzione Teatrale in B flat Op.4 No.3 12 I. Allegro 13 II. Andante 14 III. Presto
2’34 1’40 1’20
Introduzione Teatrale in G Op.4 No.4 15 I. Allegro 16 II. Andante 17 III. Presto
1’39 1’34 1’03
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Introduzione Teatrale in D Op.4 No.5 18 I. Allegro 19 II. Andante 20 III. Presto
1’58 2’17 2’31
6 7 8
Concerto Grosso in G Op.4 No.9 I. Allegro II. Largo III. Vivace
3’13 1’41 3’34
Introduzione Teatrale in C Op.4 No.6 21 I. Vivace 22 II. Andante 23 III. Presto
1’57 1’27 2’05
Concerto Grosso in E flat Op.4 No.10 9 I. Adagio 10 II. Allegro 11 III. Menuetto
5’26 2’35 8’59
Concerto Grosso in D Op.4 No.7 I. Allegro II. Largo III. Andante IV. Allegro
2’03 8’01 2’57 3’26
24 25 26 27
Igor Ruhadze solo violin I & leader Daria Gorban solo violin II Annemarie Kosten-Dür (1–23), Ivan Iliev (24–27) solo viola Paulina Ptak solo cello
Compact Disc 4
1 2 3 4 5
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Concerto Grosso in F Op.4 No.8 ‘A imitazione de’ corni da caccia’ I. Grave II. Allegro III. Largo IV. Vivace V. Allegro
12 13 14 15 16
Concerto Grosso in C minor Op.4 No.11 I. Grave II. Andante III. Largo IV. Largo andante V. Vivace
Concerto Grosso in F Op.4 No.12 17 I. Allegro 18 II. Largo 19 III. Allegro 61’49
2’08 2’15 1’02 3’12 1’39
3’08 1’46 2’23 2’14 2’58
3’16 5’44 4’06
Igor Ruhadze solo violin I & leader Daria Gorban solo violin II Rebecca Huber solo violin III (17–19) Jacek Kurzydło solo violin IV (17–19) Ivan Iliev (1–5) solo viola, (12–16) solo viola II Annemarie Kosten-Dür (6–11, 17–19) solo viola Zdenka Prochazkova (12–16) solo viola I Paulina Ptak cello
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Compact Disc 5
1 2 3 4
Concerto Grosso in D Op.7 No.1 I. Vivace II. Largo III. Allegro IV. Vivace
5’22 4’47 2’14 2’39
5 6 7 8 9
Concerto Grosso in B flat Op.7 No.2 I. Andante II. Vivace III. Largo IV. Cantabile V. Allegro
5’27 1’39 3’24 2’02 3’09
10 11 12 13
Concerto Grosso in G Op.7 No.3 I. Largo II. Allegro III. Largo IV. Allegro
0’38 1’56 4’09 5’54
14 15 16 17
Concerto Grosso in F Op.7 No.4 I. Andante II. Largo III. Cantabile IV. Allegro molto
7’11 2’50 4’50 2’14
Igor Ruhadze solo violin I & leader Daria Gorban solo violin II Ivan Iliev (1–4), Annemarie Kosten-Dür (5–17) solo viola Paulina Ptak solo cello
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60’51
Compact Disc 6
50’42
1 2 3 4 5
Concerto Grosso in G minor Op.7 No.5 I. Andante II. Allegro III. Allegro IV. Largo V. Vivace
4’04 1’25 2’14 1’27 3’13
6 7 8 9 10
Concerto Grosso in E flat Op.7 No.6 ‘Il Pianto d’Arianna’ I. Andante – Allegro – Adagio – Andante – Allegro – Largo II. Largo andante III. Grave IV. Allegro V. Largo
8’01 6’48 2’21 0’46 3’04
11 12 13 14 15
Sinfonia funebre in F minor Composta per le esequie della sua Donna che si celebrarono in Roma I. Lamento: Largo II. Alla breve ma moderato III. Grave IV. Non presto V. La Consolazione: Andante
4’55 2’31 2’54 3’06 3’35
Igor Ruhadze solo violin I & leader Daria Gorban solo violin II Annemarie Kosten-Dür (1–5), Ivan Iliev (6–15) solo viola Paulina Ptak solo cello
Ensemble Violini Capricciosi
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Pietro Antonio Locatelli: virtuosity and innovation The term concerto grosso was used loosely in the late 17th century and during the entire 18th century to denote a work for two groups of instruments: a solo group (concertino) and an accompanying group (ripieno). The ripieno might be referred to as an optional ‘backing band’ for a traditional trio sonata with two violins, cello and continuo. At the time, the ripieno was indeed often looked upon as optional, should either the situation make it undesirable or the lack of other instruments make it impossible. In fact, it was an easy marketing ploy to publish a set of trio sonatas that could be performed as is or as optional concerti grossi, with the term solo added for sections when the solo group was expected to play alone and tutti when the other instruments, if present, could join in. Although the term was used loosely, the concerto grosso differed from the solo concerto in which a single instrument stood in the limelight. In its larger form, with two distinct groups of instruments, the concerto grosso could be based either on the 18th-century sonata da chiesa form or ‘church sonata’ – usually with a slow introductory movement, a fast fugal movement, an expressive slow movement and a fast, imitative finale – or on the sonata da camera or ‘chamber sonata’, which contained dance movements. As the 18th century progressed, the distinctions between church and the chamber sonatas disappeared and consequently the concerto grosso increasingly contained elements of both. Locatelli’s first published works were in this exceedingly popular genre, and he clearly wished to demonstrate not only his command of the form but also his abilities as a composer following in the footsteps of his teacher, Corelli. Op.1 was published in 1721 (interestingly, in the same year Bach published his Brandenburg Concertos) and consisted of 12 concerti grossi. Even though these first concerti can be divided stylistically into da chiesa and da camera types, Locatelli nevertheless established a distinctive style and departed from established traditions, thereby superseding the
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Corellian model. Locatelli chose to follow the example of Torelli, another Italian violin virtuoso and contemporary of Corelli, by using a ripieno of four or five players as opposed to the common two violins and cello. Some of the slow movements in the Op.1 concerti contain mainly long notes and were probably intended as a showcase for improvisation, either by the first violinist (as in the fourth movement of Op.1 No.1 and the first movement of Op.1 No.8) or by the harpsichordist (as in the third movement of Op.1 No.3). An additional point of interest concerning Op.1 No.8 is that it ends with a pastorale reminiscent of Corelli’s famous Christmas Concerto. By the time Locatelli published his Op.4 Concerti Grossi in 1735, he had already established himself as a virtuoso violinist, having only two years previously published his Op.3 Violin Concertos, which contained pyrotechnics never before heard. This is reflected by increasingly virtuosic writing for the violin in the concerti grossi. In this opus of 12 works, Locatelli called the first six Introduzioni Teatrali and they followed the form of the Italian sinfonia with three movements, fast–slow–fast. A curious aspect of Op.4 No.8 is that the solo and ripieno groups play the same music in the first and second movements but the third and fourth are more a type of violin concerto with extended passages in double stops for the first violinist. Op.4 No.10 includes a minuet with variations in which the first violin plays stratospherically high. In 1746 Locatelli reworked this concerto as the solo sonata Op.8 No.6. A notable exception to the rest of his concerti grossi is Op.4 No.12, with the solo group consisting of four violins, each with an equally virtuosic part. Op.7 was published in 1741 and consists of six concerti, one for the traditional Corellian solo group of two violins and cello and five with his preferred solo group of four instruments. The second movement of Op.7 No.4 features an interesting written-out section with rapid arpeggios for the harpsichord. Locatelli labelled it ‘ad libitum’, perhaps in an attempt to avoid frightening the amateur harpsichordist. With its programmatic title and content, Op.7 No.5 is perhaps the most theatrical of
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Locatelli’s concerti grossi. Subtitled ‘Il Pianto d’Arianna’ (‘Arianna’s weeping’), this concerto illustrates an episode from Ovid’s Heroides, a popular subject of many 17th- and 18th-century operas. The slow movements feature sobbing figures alternating with recitative-like figures in the solo violin. Locatelli’s Concerti Grossi Op.9 have unfortunately been lost. A condition of Locatelli’s exclusive publishing rights in the Netherlands (a forerunner of modern copyright law) was that he give copies to the Leiden University library. Thanks to this stipulation, we still have copies of Opp. 1, 4 and 7. By the time he published Op.9 in 1762, this ‘privilege’ had lapsed. The richness of Locatelli’s harmonic language and the vitality of his counterpoint provide a wealth of compositional inventiveness unparalleled by his contemporaries, as well as a virtuosity that even today places these works among the most difficult in the violin repertoire. 훿 Vaughan Schlepp, 2015
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Ensemble Violini Capricciosi Ensemble Violini Capricciosi is a European ensemble dedicated to performing virtuoso violin repertoire. The members of the ensemble are well-known musicians active in Europe in the field of historical performance practice, who have received prizes in national and international competitions. The combination of knowledge of historical performance practice with versatility and technical ability enables Ensemble Violini Capricciosi to perform music of different styles and periods, from the Baroque to the 20th century. The musicians play on original instruments or exact copies, as well as on modern instruments, depending on the requirements of the music. Igor Ruhadze Igor Ruhadze graduated from the Moscow Central Music School and the Moscow State Conservatory with distinction in 1996. Since 1999 he has resided in the Netherlands. In 2002 he graduated cum laude from the Amsterdam Conservatory with a speciality in Baroque and Classical violin. At the age of 12 he began his career as a solo violinist, performing Vieuxtemps’s Fifth Violin Concerto with the Odessa Symphony Orchestra. He has performed as a soloist with various orchestras and ensembles in repertoire ranging from early Baroque to contemporary. His interest in Baroque music led him to become concert master of the first Baroque orchestra in Russia, the Moscow State Classic Capella, a position he
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held for seven years. As a member of the Taneyev Trio, in 1996 Igor Ruhadze was awarded first prize as well as a special prize for best trio, and the ensemble was awarded the public prize in the International Taneyev Chamber Music Competition. He won third prize at the Locatelli Baroque Violin International Competition in Amsterdam in 1997 and the Diploma of the Musica Antiqua competition in Bruges in 1999. In 1996 he became a teacher of solo violin at the Moscow Conservatory and the Moscow Central Music School, and in 2002 he began teaching Baroque violin and Baroque orchestra there. In 2006 he worked as a guest teacher at the Amsterdam Conservatory. Igor Ruhadze has performed throughout Europe and the USA. He frequently appears at festivals in Utrecht, Potsdam, Bruges, London, Ghent, Montpellier, Vollore, Nassogne, Eindhoven, Budapest, New York, Moscow and St Petersburg. In addition, he is concert master of the Bach Orchestra of the Netherlands and Musica Antiqua St Petersburg. He is a member of several chamber music ensembles and is the founder and leader of Violini Capricciosi. Igor Ruhadze has recorded numerous CDs of both chamber music and solo repertoire for a number of labels.
Ensemble Violini Capricciosi Igor Ruhadze
solo violin & leader Baroque violin (David Tecchler, Rome, 1706, NMF) Daria Gorban Baroque violin (Hendrik Jakobs, Amsterdam, 1693, NMF) Rebecca Huber Baroque violin (Matthieu J.R. Besseling, Amsterdam, 2003) Ivan Iliev Baroque violin (Silvian Rusu, after Giuseppe Guarneri (del Gesù)) Baroque viola (Christo Georgiev, 2011, after Gasparo da Salo) Jacek Kurzydło Baroque violin (Nicolas Augustin Chappuy, Paris, 1764) Baroque viola (Jan Pawlikowski, Kraków, 2007, after Amati) Annegret Hoffmann Baroque violin (Anon., Klingenthal, Saxony, c.1770) David Rabinovici Baroque violin (John Hamilton, Scotland, mid-19th century) Baroque viola (Anon., Mittenwald, 19th century) Agnieszka Papierska Baroque violin (Anon., Klingenthal, Germany, late 18th century) Baroque viola (Adam Bartosik, Myslenice, 2011) Annemarie Kosten-Dür Baroque viola (Jan Pawlikowski, Krakow, 2010) Zdenka Prochazkova Baroque viola (Jan Pawlikowski, Krakow, 2010) Paulina Ptak Baroque cello (Krystian Grzybacz, 2008, after Hendrik Jacobs) Silvia Jimenez Soriano double bass (J.G. Thir, 1755) Vaughan Schlepp harpsichord (Joop Klinkhamer after Zell)
Recording: June 2013–January 2014, Westvestkerk 90, Schiedam, The Netherlands Recording & editing: Peter Arts & 훿 2015 Brilliant Classics
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