Antonio Vivaldi 1678–1741 Il cimento dell’armonia e dell’inventione Op.8 12 Concerti a 4 e 5 e Consacrati all’Illustrissimo Signor Conte Venceslao di Morzin (Amsterdam, 1725) Compact Disc 1
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Concerto No.1 in E RV269 ‘La primavera’ for violin, strings and basso continuo I. Allegro II. Largo III. Allegro
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Concerto No.2 in G minor RV315 ‘L’estate’ for violin, strings and basso continuo I. Allegro non molto – Allegro II. Adagio – Presto – Adagio – Presto – Adagio – Presto – Adagio – Presto – Adagio III. Presto
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Concerto No.3 in F RV293 ‘L’autunno’ for violin, strings and basso continuo I. Allegro – Larghetto – Allegro asssai II. Adagio molto III. Allegro
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Concerto No.4 in F minor RV297 ‘L’inverno’ for violin, strings and basso continuo 10 I. Allegro non molto 11 II. Largo 12 III. Allegro – Lento 2
54’49
3’09 2’37 3’42
Concerto No.5 in E flat RV253 ‘La tempesta di mare’ for violin, strings and basso continuo 13 I. Presto – Allegro 14 II. Largo 15 III. Presto
2’36 2’40 3’34
Concerto No.6 in C RV180 ‘Il piacere’ for violin, strings and basso continuo 16 I. Allegro 17 II. Largo e cantabile 18 III. Allegro
2’48 2’26 2’32
Compact Disc 2
1 2 3
Concerto No.11 in D RV210 for violin, strings and basso continuo I. Allegro II. Largo III. Allegro
4’39 3’00 4’22
4 5 6
Concerto No.10 in B flat RV362 ‘La caccia’ for violin, strings and basso continuo I. Allegro II. Adagio III. Allegro
3’10 2’38 2’21
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Concerto No.7 in D minor RV242 for violin, strings and basso continuo I. Allegro II. Largo III. Allegro
2’41 1’49 2’43
5’04 2’39 2’43
4’30 2’11 3’16
3’22 1’42 3’09
53’56
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Vivaldi: Il cimento dell’armonia e dell’inventione Op.8
Concerto No.8 in G minor RV332 for violin, strings and basso continuo 10 I. Allegro 11 II. Largo 12 III. Allegro
3’06 2’41 3’37
Concerto No.12 in C RV449* for oboe, strings and basso continuo 13 I. Allegro 14 II. Largo 15 III. Allegro
2’57 2’52 3’15
Concerto No.9 in D minor RV454* for oboe, strings and basso continuo 16 I. Allegro 17 II. Largo 18 III. Allegro
2’58 2’16 2’43
Federico Guglielmo solo violin & concertmaster Pier Luigi Fabretti solo oboe* L’Arte dell’Arco Glauco Bertagnin violin I (CD2) Isabella Bison violin I (CD1) · violin II (CD2) Mauro Massa violin II (CD1) Mario Paladin viola · Luigi Puxeddu cello Alessandro Pivelli (CD1) · Franco Catalini (CD2) violone/double bass Roberto Loreggian · Francesca Bacchetta (RV210 & 362) harpsichord/chamber organ Ivano Zanenghi (CD1) · Michele Pasotti (CD2) theorbo/Baroque guitar
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Il cimento dell’armonia e dell’inventione was published towards the end of 1725. Although the collection was dedicated to Count Wenzel von Morzin, the expenses for the entire edition were ultimately covered by the publisher Michael-Charles Le Cène, who had inherited Roger’s publishing concern in Amsterdam. A letter written to Count Roero di Guarene suggests that the collection had in fact already been largely edited for a couple of years. Moreover, from the dedication in the frontispiece it is clear that certain of the concertos, in particular the four of ‘Le stagioni’ (The Seasons), were well known before they reached publication, which speaks for a well-established relationship with Morzin. Op.8 unites what was probably the most consistent and ‘representative’ group of Vivaldi concertos. It comprises a mixture of works that may or may not have been deliberate. The assortment embodies the traditional canons of imitation of nature, a homage to the ‘French style’, a certain theatrical dimension, and an astute commercial awareness of the importance of certain titles and references that had little to do with music but certainly responded to the tastes and passions of the times. The title itself was enough to arouse curiosity in potential buyers of the period. In general, the representative elements of the concertos are found in the first and last movements, while the central movements are entrusted with the expression of additional images. It is not easy to add anything meaningful or interesting to what has already been written (and indeed recorded) about ‘The Four Seasons’. This explains why I have chosen to focus on certain aspects of L’Arte dell’Arco’s interpretation of the works rather than provide notes on the pieces themselves. L’Arte dell’Arco had already recorded the works for CPO in 2001, in a version based on a hypothetical performance by Count Morzin’s virtuoso orchestra. This meant rewriting the solo parts (or accompaniment) for wind instruments. At the time I felt that the desire to achieve ‘naturalness through artifice’ had urged musicians interpreting ‘The Four Seasons’ to go well beyond the limits of the works themselves. For some time these pieces had become a launching pad for young virtuoso players, and the tendency was still on the increase, as a flurry of unscrupulous commercial operations involving every sort of adaptation and arrangement went to show. When we came to address the scores afresh for Brilliant’s new, comprehensive recording project, we thus decided to rethink our overall approach, to make it as lively and bold as possible, but without ever veering towards exhibitionism. The decision to perform ‘in real parts’ (with no doubling of instruments), in accordance with the
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fruits of Richard Maunder’s studies, has helped us recover the desired simplicity of gesture and transparency of sound, thereby revealing the underlying structure for so long buried beneath a heavy load of ornamentation and excess. ‘La tempesta di mare’ (Storm at Sea) is a magnificent portrayal of nature (arguably the finest of Vivaldi’s various works in the genre), while ‘Il piacere’ (Pleasure) belongs to the series depicting emotions, or what were then referred to as ‘human passions’. ‘La caccia’ (The Hunt) returns to the rural setting already suggested in ‘L’autunno’ (Autumn) but with a deeply introspective Adagio that skilfully divides the two more monochromatic outer sections. Two of the Op.8 concertos allow the option of performance with either the violin or the oboe. In this instance we chose to entrust the solo part to the wind instrument, since the ‘earlier versions’ (RV454 and RV449) both called for the solo part to be played by the oboe. Indeed, the instrument is particularly well suited to the tessitura of these works and the absence of extreme virtuoso passages. Little wonder, then, that it should create a marked contrast with the three most virtuosic scores of the whole collection, Nos. 7, 8 and 11. Concerto No.7 (RV242) also exists in a version dedicated to the German virtuoso player Pisendel currently kept in the Dresden library, but this latter work contains a number of differences. The second movement of the concerto was to feature again in the central movement of the Flute Concerto Op.10 No.6. Concerto No.8 (RV332), on the other hand, comprises two remarkable arpeggio passages in cadenza that invest the third movement with heady virtuoso energy, while No.11 (RV210) is wide-reaching, solemn and celebratory, with solo passages that delve into the technical and expressive potential of the violin. In this it can be likened to the grand concertos ‘con cadenza’, such as ‘Grosso Mogul’ and the early Concerto ‘per la Solennità della S. Lingua di S. Antonio in Padua’. As with ‘La caccia’, where the composer added an introspective central movement to separate two movements that were too similar in colour, so in this concerto the introduction of a Largo of minimal duration, ensemble forces and technique serves to achieve the height of poetry. 훿 Federico Guglielmo Translation: Kate Singleton
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About the instrument While it is true that the success of a recording largely depends on the individual musician’s ability to interpret and express a given composer’s intent and meaning, in this particular case the intrinsic nature of the instrument involved is also of the utmost significance. Thanks to a generous loan on the part of an expert private collector, for this project Federico Guglielmo was able to play a magnificent violin made by Tommaso Balestrieri. Built in Mantua around 1760, it is an instrument of great refinement and exquisite sound, as all those who listen to the recording will immediately appreciate. Little is actually known about the history of this violin, and less still about Tommaso Balestreri, despite the fact that he was one of the foremost exponents of the Mantuan school. While the exact date and place of his birth remain uncertain, we do know for sure, however, that he studied with Camillo Camilli, who in his turn had been a pupil of Pietro Guarneri and possibly even of the great Antonio Stradivari. Little wonder, then, that Balestrieri should have chosen to sign all his instruments with the inscription cremonensis, an epithet well
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suited to his own particular elegance, for all its marked individuality. Indeed, with respect to those particular masters, Balestrieri favoured a less pronounced backplate and soundboard and preferred thinly applied varnishes that were lighter, more luminous and transparent, achieving a distinctive projection of sound by means of the use of varying thicknesses. The extraordinary nature of the instrument thus lies in its unique character and strong personality. Guglielmo himself has described it as ‘not entirely easy, because taming its various changes of mood requires personality, yet it is endowed with such luminous sound that the player readily forgives it for its vagaries.’ The essentially technical features of the violin are also worthy of note, because they reflect the original Baroque conception of the instrument, with the period neck and fingerboard. The uniqueness of the instrument is further enhanced by the particular nature of the bow that has always accompanied it. The work of Carlo Annibale Tononi, the Bolognese luthier, it is a gorgeous Baroque bow made of pernambuco (brazilwood) with a bone tension screw and a boxwood frog. The original case, dating back to the 18th century, fits into its own coach box embellished with the coat of arms and the initials of the Colonna family of Rome, the original owners, and decorated with period paintings. The set was also furnished with candlesticks, for illuminating the score, and a music stand, as well as an 18th-century manuscript copy of Bartolomeo Campagnoli’s violin method. The beauty and history of an extraordinary instrument have thus come down to us intact. Moreover, to help Federico Guglielmo interpret the work as fully as possible, these original acoustical features have been further enhanced by means of technical adjustments introduced by master luthier Giovanni Lazzaro, the technical partner in the overall project who also handled negotiations for the loan of the instrument. 훿 Giovanni Lazzaro
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Established in 1994, L’Arte dell’Arco has achieved international recognition for its concerts and recordings. The ensemble, based in Padua, consists of some of the best Italian musicians, all of whom have specialised in period-instrument performance and played with the most important European Baroque orchestras. The composition of the group varies from a small string ensemble to a full orchestra. Depending on the demands of each programme, L’Arte dell’Arco can consist of anything from three to 30 musicians so that it can devote itself to a wide repertoire and continue to search for and re-evaluate forgotten works. L’Arte dell’Arco is regularly invited to many important early music festivals and historic cultural venues. Its musicians perform today in all the famous European concert halls as well as in North and South America, Japan and the Far East. The group has performed with acclaimed artists such as Christopher Hogwood (guest conductor since 1997), Gustav Leonhardt and Pieter Wispelwey. Although the orchestra still invites guest conductors and soloists for some performances each year, its artistic director/concertmaster, Federico Guglielmo, has given it a very definite image. L’Arte dell’Arco has been particularly prolific in the recording studios, releasing CDs on the labels Deutsche Harmonia Mundi, Sony/BMG Classics, Chandos, Brilliant Classics, ASV, CPO, Stradivarius, Dynamic, RAI Trade and Musicaimmagine, all featuring works from the Italian Baroque repertoire. Since the release of its first recording, L’Arte dell’Arco has received prizes such as at the Premio Internazionale del Disco Antonio Vivaldi in Venice (1995, 1996), and critical acclaim from specialist classical music magazines (Diapason, Le Monde de la Musique, Repertoire, Gramophone, Classic CD, BBC Music Magazine, International Record Review, The Strad, Fanfare, American Record Guide, Fono Forum, Klassik Heute, Alte Musik Aktuell, Luister, Scherzo, Ritmo, The Record Geijutsu, etc) and the international press (The Times, the Daily Telegraph, the Irish Times, etc). The Italian music magazines Amadeus, CD Classics, Orfeo and Classic Voice have featured L’Arte dell’Arco on their covers, with articles about unpublished recordings and interviews with Federico Guglielmo. In 1996 L’Arte dell’Arco embarked upon one of the most ambitious recording projects of recent decades: the complete recording of all Tartini’s concertos. The volumes were released on Dynamic to overwhelming international acclaim.
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The Paduan violinist Federico Guglielmo is acclaimed by international critics for his ‘extraordinary versatility’ and ‘mature interpretive confidence’, views that are further confirmed by the appreciation garnered for his live performances and the prizes he has won for his numerous recordings. Winner of the Antonio Vivaldi International Recording Prize, he was hailed as ‘the new star of the ancient music landscape’ by the Boston Globe, while the French music magazine Diapason, which awarded him the Diapason d’Or for his recording of Vivaldi concertos, praised his ‘sparkling virtuosity which provides a cross section of everything of which the violin is capable’. His ‘brilliant and entertaining’ interpretation of Haydn’s violin concertos led the American critic Robert Maxham to write in Fanfare that ‘between Isaac Stern’s energetic approach to these works, those of celebrated Mozart interpreters like Szymon Goldberg and Arthur Grumiaux and the insightful explorations of Christian Tetzlaff seem like halfway houses on the journey to Guglielmo’s more full-blown re-creations. Those who admire Haydn’s concertos should be among the first to rush to acquire these performances, but everyone should join that rush sooner or later.’ Guglielmo’s international career began at just 22, when he won first prize in the Vittorio Gui Chamber Music competition in Florence; the same year, having won the national competition for teaching posts, he became the youngest professor of strings at an Italian conservatory, a post he still holds at the ‘Luigi Cherubini’ Conservatoire in Florence. As both a Baroque and Classical violin soloist and as a conductor he is regularly invited to perform by major ensembles worldwide. He led the renowned Academy of Ancient Music on tour in England and was subsequently invited by groups such as The Handel & Haydn Society of Boston and the Tokyo Chamber Orchestra; his debut in Sydney with the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra was a sensational success, with his performances watched by over 10,000 spectators and recorded by ABC. The Daily Telegraph reported that ‘his ability to move from playing to conducting reminded us of the virtuosic players of the Baroque such as Vivaldi’, while the Sydney Morning Herald described his ‘superb technical ability demonstrated in the stratospheric passages at the very top of the fingerboard’. In 1994, together with his father, he formed the period instrument ensemble L’Arte dell’Arco, with whom he has performed in major European festivals and recorded more than 75 CDs for Deutsche Harmonia Mundi, Sony/BMG Classical, Chandos, CPO, Stradivarius, ASV Gaudeamus and Rai Trade. The year 2011 saw the publication of the final volume of the complete 30-CD set of Tartini’s 125 violin concertos for Dynamic and the first volume of the new Vivaldi project (20 CDs of all his
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published works) for Brilliant Classics. Federico Guglielmo collaborates with musicians such as Bob van Asperen, Emma Kirkby, Monica Huggett and Dan Laurin. He has performed Bach’s violin concertos with conductor Gustav Leonhardt, Beethoven’s Violin Concerto with the Gran Canaria Philharmonic conducted by Christopher Hogwood, and Franz Clements’s Violin Concerto with Reinhard Goebel (first European performance in modern times). He has taught Baroque violin in Italy, Brazil and Japan and for the New South Wales Conservatory in Australia. In addition to his solo work, Federico Guglielmo also has a great passion for chamber music. He is a member of the Stradivari Trio, which he founded in 1992, and he has played with musicians such as Pieter Wispelwey, Mario Brunello, Kathleen Battle, Hansjörg Schellenberger, Wolfram Christ and Michala Petri. Chamber music recordings include Brahms piano trios (Dynamic), Mozart piano trios (CPO) – named as CD of the month by the German magazine Fono Forum – and Grieg violin sonatas (Decca). Federico Guglielmo was born in Padua in 1968. He obtained his diploma from the ‘B. Marcello’ Conservatory in Venice and then attended violin masterclasses with Salvatore Accardo, Vladimir Spivakov and Isaac Stern, chamber music masterclasses with the Beaux Arts Trio, the Trieste Trio, the Amadeus Quartet, the Quartetto Italiano and the LaSalle Quartet, and an orchestral conducting masterclass with Gianluigi Gelmetti. While still very young he was concertmaster for the principal Italian symphonic orchestras for ten years – a role he is still happy to perform occasionally today with the Orchestra di Padova e del Veneto. He has also won several prizes in national (Vittorio Veneto) and international (Paris, London, Canada) competitions and since then has regularly performed at the main concert halls including the Grosser Musikvereinsaal in Vienna, Wigmore Hall in London, Società del Quartetto in Milan, Accademia Santa Cecilia in Rome, Auditorio Nacional in Madrid, Herkulesaal in Munich, Isaac Stern Auditorium at Carnegie Hall in New York, Suntory Hall, Opera City and Bunka Kaikan in Tokyo, Izumi and Symphony Hall in Osaka, Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires and the City Recital Hall in Sydney. In his role as principal violin and leader of the string ensemble I Solisti Filarmonici Italiani he has led concert tours every two years in Japan and the US since 1990 and has made more than 35 recordings for Denon Nippon Columbia. In the last few years he has concentrated more on conducting works including opera. He conducted the world premiere of Piccinni’s Il finto turco at the Teatro Olimpico in Vicenza (live broadcast by Rai Radio 3) and the first performance in modern times of Vivaldi’s Ottone in villa (recorded by
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Brilliant Classics); he was also responsible for the reworking of Domenico Scarlatti’s La Dirindina for MiTo/Settembre Musica. The CD of Handel’s Water Music (CPO) that he conducted was awarded ‘First Choice’ on BBC Radio 3’s Building a Library and was chosen as one of Gramophone’s ‘Recommended Recordings’ for its ‘splendid playing, involving and vibrant’.
Pier Luigi Fabretti is renowned for his historical-instrument performances of repertoire ranging from the Baroque to the Romantic period. Having obtained a first-class diploma at the Venice Conservatoire in 1982, he played first oboe in a number of symphony and opera orchestras, at the same time devoting considerable attention to contemporary music. Since 1992, when he was appointed principal oboe of the European Union Baroque Orchestra (EUBO), he has focused exclusively on performance with period instruments. Since 1996 he has been principal oboe of Les Arts Florissants, and from 1998 to 2008 he was first oboe with Concerto Köln. Currently first oboe of the Academia Montis Regalis, he works regularly with eminent Baroque orchestras such as I Barocchisti, La Scintilla and Kammerorchester Basel, with which he tours frequently in Europe, the United States, Asia and South America. Fabretti has also worked closely with Il Giardino Armonico, L’Europa Galante, La Petite Bande, L’Orchestre des Champs-Élysées, Le Cercle de l’Harmonie, Orquesta Barroca de Sevilla, Piccolo Concerto Wien and Balthasar-Neumann-Ensemble, amongst others, under the baton of conductors such as William Christie, René Jacobs, Alessandro De Marchi, Diego Fasolis, Giovanni Antonini, Daniel Harding, Enrico Onofri, David Stern and Sigiswald Kuijken. His many recordings have met with widespread critical acclaim.
Recording: 19–21 June (CD1), 25–27 June (CD2) 2014, Abbazia di Carceri d’Este, Padua, Italy Producer, recording engineer & editor: Fabio Framba 2014 & 훿 2016 Brilliant Classics
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