Obscurity hovers threateningly over this disc.
Whilst Giovanni Francesco Giuliani is certainly not unknown
though frequently confused with various other Giulianis, mandolin
playing or otherwise Giovanni Hoffmann is mired in the mists
of time, his forename as uncertain as his dates of birth and
death, though Vienna seems to have been his home for some considerable
time.
Giuliani was born around 1760 in Livorno and
died some time after 1818 in Florence. Unlike many itinerant
Italian musicians of the lesser rank he managed to carve out
a career for himself in the latter city, having earlier studied
with two eminent masters violin with Nardini, no less, and counterpoint
with Felici. He led the orchestra at the Teatro degli Intrepidi
and was fortunate to be able to compose instrumental music,
rather than churning out by rote church compositions as were
his less fortunate contemporaries. Several of his works were
published in Florence and London and he managed to compose a
Symphony, six Harp Concertos, concertos for Violin and Cello,
some forty quartets and much other chamber music as well a two
act intermezzo though the preponderance of his compositions
is weighted toward chamber forces. Quatuor PlectrArchi performs
three of his two movement Quartets for violin, viola, mandolin
and lute as well as two of Hoffmann's four movement works written
for the same forces. The limitations and colouristic possibilities
of this kind of quartet are self-evident. The play of lyricism
and rhythm, of arco and pizzicato are embedded into the syntax
of these not very intellectually demanding genre pieces. The
Quatuor PlectrArchi are adept purveyors of these divertimento-like
works the rich sounding viola of Lucienne Lovano is welcomingly
expressive in the Allegro of Giulianis Re majeur where the mandolin
and lute take the foreground in passagework or melodic phrasing
whilst the violin and viola offer accompanying figures. I like
Giuliani's abrupt sign-off ending, curtly amusing. His quartets,
whilst of only two movements, are nevertheless generally of
some developmental sophistication the Minuet and Variations
of the Re majeur for example distributes melody and accompanying
figuration with some subtlety. He can also be elegantly aloof
as in the Sol majeur's Allegro or insinuate a little Mozartian
lyricism (the same works concluding Rondo) and is courageous
enough to thin his texture to a single melodic line and employ
a generic Turkish march in the Rondo, replete with vigorous
plucking.
Hoffman (fl 1799) employs a conventional four-movement
quartet but within it he varies texture and colouration. Its
difficult for the mandolin and lute to articulate clearly in
the Allegro Molto of his Fa majeur quartet, a challenging tempo
tends to fragment the melodic impulse but Hoffman's use of repeated
themes with varied dynamics is wily, knowing and surprisingly
successful. His Menuet is distinctly Haydnesque, stately, imposing,
but the result is somewhat plodding and four square. The viola
drone figure in the Re majeurs Romance is a welcome addition
to the tonal palette in fact there's plenty of interest in this
compact but never flimsy quartet. I'm not convinced however
that that the stated Rondo finale isn't in fact more an Andante
the way its played here though I admire the violin and viola
unison passages and their ever rising arched theme. Hardly imperishable
masterpieces then but works of craft and no little ingenuity.
Good performances as well, convincing and sonorous, if with
a couple of questionable tempo-related decisions. Notes are
mainly given over to the performers; with the paucity of historical
detail its not surprising but its disappointing that there's
not a word about the music performed.
Jonathan Woolf
Quatuor PlectrArchi
