Recordings of Vivaldi
concertos using period-instruments have
been flocking to the catalogues with
regularity in recent years. The qualities
of many of these recordings that employ
instruments authentic to the period
have been outstanding. This elevated
standard continues with disc from period-instrument
orchestra The King’s Consort. One of
the cello concertos is a curiosity in
that it may not be by Vivaldi.
Of Vivaldi’s scores
that feature the cello as a solo or
joint-solo instrument my latest check
of his works-list revealed: 26 concertos
for cello, strings and basso continuo,
one for cello, bassoon, strings and
basso continuo, one for two cellos,
strings and basso continuo and one concerto
for violin, two cellos, strings and
basso continuo.
These cello concertos
are certainly accomplished examples
of the genre and to a large extent chart
Vivaldi’s development as a composer.
Of the seven here the G minor,
RV416 and the A minor, RV420
belong to the earliest cello concertos
that Vivaldi composed. The two scores
are thought to be contemporaneous to
the celebrated collection, published
in 1711, as Op. 3 ‘L’estro armonico’.
The G minor, RV416 and the A
minor, RV420 bear the hallmarks
of a Baroque sonata and make sparing
use of the orchestra. The ‘primitive’
stylistic features of these scores includes
a larger number of shorter sections
- alternating between ‘tutti’ and ‘solo’
scoring - than in the later concertos.
Their rhythmic character tends to be
uniform between each movement. Their
energy remains fairly raw, lacking the
finer nuances, rhythmic, figurational
and dynamic of the later scores.
In the view of Vivaldi
biographer Michael Talbot the concertos
in C minor, RV401, G minor,
RV417 and A minor, RV418 belong
to the heyday of Vivaldi’s concerto-composing
career: the 1720s. From 1723 to 1729
Vivaldi, who was no longer an employee
of the Ospedale della Pietà,
in Venice, kept the institution supplied
with two concertos a month under a special
contract.
The Concerto for
two cellos, RV531 is Vivaldi’s only
true ‘double’ cello concerto. Although
he did write a Concerto in C major
for violin, two cellos, strings and
basso continuo, RV561. The score
to the G minor, RV531 was in
all probability written during the 1720s
for the Pietà. Michael Talbot
in his liner notes claims special significance
for the score, "This is a concerto
to single out among the hundreds that
Vivaldi wrote."
The G major,
RV415 is the curiosity out of the seven
concertos. For many years RV415, which
came from the Schönborn-Wiesentheid
collection, was attributed to Vivaldi.
Peter Ryom who catalogued Vivaldi’s
works appeared not to question its authenticity.
However the style of the G major
concerto is most uncharacteristic,
beyond the most basic specifications,
and many questions have arisen from
Vivaldi scholars.
In the last few years
the standard of period-instrument performance
of Vivaldi and Baroque and Classical
music in general has certainly improved
by leaps and bounds. In the last decade
or so a new generation of outstanding
period-instrument ensembles and soloists
have come to prominence at the cutting-edge
of the authentic performance scene.
These specialist performers are able
to exploit the strengths of their period-instruments
rather than being restricted by the
weaknesses. They have successfully escalated
the technical proficiency and interpretative
standards.
Founded in 1980 by
their director Robert King, The King's
Consort is one of the world's most-recorded
period-instrument orchestras having
made over ninety recordings for Hyperion.
Baroque cellist Jonathan Cohen is the
principal of The King's Consort and
uses a five-string ‘piccolo’ cello on
RV415 and RV418 instead of the traditional
four-string instrument. This facilitates
the performance of ultra-high notes
and of the broken chord passages in
the solo part of these two concertos.
Cohen is a highly impressive
soloist and his skilfully controlled
playing displays a real stamp of authority,
avoiding any suggestion of flashiness
and superficiality. The mellow tone
from his 1712 Giuseppe Guarneri ‘Filius
Andrea’ Cremonese cello from the ‘golden
period’ is striking. I especially enjoyed
the performance from Cohen and the Consort
with the jagged rhythms of the tempestuous
allegro, finale of the
A minor, RV420. I loved
the soloist’s glorious playing in the
G minor, RV417 where the central
movement andante has a minuet
rhythm and the cello is accompanied
by the continuo alone. With their
fresh and vibrant playing the Consort
are in their element with the absorbing
final movement allegro of RV417.
The finest work on
the set is the double cello concerto
in G minor, RV531. The electrifying
cadenza in the highly charged
opening movement allegro is played
by both cellists with spirit and dramatic
energy and the poignant slow movement
is given an interpretation of noble
dignity. The five-string ‘piccolo’ cello
that Cohen utilises on RV415 and RV418,
a Clive Morris copy from 1995 after
H & A Amati of Cremona c.1600, is
a fine instrument with a gracious timbre.
The orchestral playing is first class
and together with Robert Cohen their
excellent performances place them beside
the very best of the new generation
of specialist period-instrument ensembles.
For those wanting just
one recording of a selection of Vivaldi’s
cello concertos I believe the finest
accounts are those from Ensemble Explorations
under the direction of baroque cellist
Roel Dieltiens, on period-instruments,
for Harmonia Mundi. The second volume
in the series is crucially the one to
go for; which contains: RV420, RV408,
RV411, RV407, RV544, RV421 nd RV561
on HMC 901745. Recorded in 2001, in
Belgium the commanding playing from
Ensemble Explorations is spirited and
full of personality. A sheer delight
from start to finish, it is difficult
to imagine better performances. In my
MusicWeb review I called the release
‘Truly outstanding!’ review
This appealing Hyperion
recording is warm and clear with excellent
balance. The liner notes from Michael
Talbot are written to a high standard
which enhances the appeal.
Michael Cookson
Sarah McMahon (cello) (RV531) 
for
details
