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Vivaldi penned more than 500 concertos. At least 214 of these are for solo violin & orchestra, but as Michael Talbot remarks, ‘scarcely a year passes without the announcement of some fresh discovery’. So what was the ‘concerto’ to Vivaldi? What about it did he love so much to have composed so many? In the decade before Vivaldi composed Le Quattro Stagioni.
Despite what this recorded collection suggests, few of Vivaldi’s instrumental works have programmatic titles. On the whole, titles gesture towards a general mood. Il Riposo & L’amoroso are examples of this indication of Affekt – indeed, both are united in their key of gleaming E major. The case of Il Grosso Mogul is stranger. There seems to be no known link between Vivaldi & the Indian court of the Grand Mughal, Akbar. The extreme virtuosity required by the soloist in the outer movements, as well as the long, fully written-out cadenzas, suggest a theatrical function. Perhaps Vivaldi performed it as a ‘theatre concerto’ as part of an opera plot set in India. French royalty, however, did play a huge role in the reception of Le Quattro Stagioni.
AllMusic:
Among countless interpretations of Vivaldi’s 4 Seasons, which range from modernized performances for large string orchestra to period-style versions for much leaner ensembles, there are few as pared-down as Rachel Podger’s performances with Brecon Baroque. Podger plays the virtuosic solo violin part & directs an ensemble consisting of 2 violins, 1 viola, & 1 cello, supported by a continuo of violone, theorbo, & harpsichord or chamber organ. This might give an impression of extreme austerity or thinness of sound, but the surprising richness of the group’s textures suggests that tonal production counts more than the number of players. While nobody knows the actual size of Vivaldi’s orchestra, & some favour the moderately large string orchestra Vivaldi conducted at the Ospedale della Pietà, he might have encountered a different size of orchestra at the court of Mantua, where he composed the 4 Seasons. At any rate, Podger & her musicians produce a remarkably colourful performance, & fill out the rest of the album with 3 more violin concertos, Il Riposo per Il santissimo Natale, L’Amoroso, & Il Grosso Mogul, which give new listeners a chance to explore less familiar Vivaldi. Channel Classics recorded this album in St. Jude’s Church, London, & the resonant but unobtrusive acoustics contribute to the group’s vibrant sound. Highly recommended.
Producer Jonathan Freeman-Attwood writes:
“Working with Rachel Podger & Brecon Baroque has been an object lesson in starting anew & identifying the ingredients which make ‘Le Quattro Stagioni’ great works. Virtuosity is non-negotiable here & Rachel has it in abundance. But it’s the colour, poetry, vibrancy & evocative characterisation of weather, human warmth & fragility, captured by the dynamic flux of Rachel interlocking with her colleagues in Brecon Baroque, that deliver near-unimaginable qualities in this music.”
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发表于 2020-12-8 14:55:37
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