The concertos for two violins by Vivaldi are a lesser-known
part of his oeuvre. He composed a considerable number of them,
though. The 28 concertos for this scoring span almost his entire
career. The first examples were included in his collection of
12 concertos which was printed as his op. 3 in 1711 under the
title L'Estro Armonico. The latest concerto which can
be dated is from 1740. It is not entirely clear for whom these
works were intended. Some may have been written as part of Vivaldi's
activities as teacher in the Ospedale della Pietà in
Venice. The character of the solo parts is various, and in many
cases they are so demanding that they can only be played by
real virtuosos. Vivaldi was such a virtuoso himself. In his
liner-notes Fabrizio Ammetto comes up with the suggestion that
Vivaldi could have played them with his father, Giovanni Battista,
a skilled professional violinist and probably his only formal
teacher.
The roles of the two violins can greatly differ. Sometimes they
play in parallel thirds, elsewhere they are involved in a contrapuntal
texture with imitation. There are also episodes in which the
second violin accompanies the first or vice versa. Lastly
they can develop a dialogue which can take the character of
cooperation or rather confrontation. The roles of the violins
can change within a single concerto or even movement. That is
part of the attraction of these concertos for both performers
and listeners.
The programme starts with the Concerto in D (RV 513).
It is one of the most virtuosic pieces and the only one which
was printed - apart from the op. 3 concertos. The edition dates
from 1736 but the concerto was probably written about ten years
earlier. Particularly remarkable is the written-out cadenza
for both violins in the last movement which includes various
modulations.
The Concertos in B flat (RV 526) and in A (RV
520) belong to a collection of twelve which Vivaldi offered
to the Habsburg emperor Charles VI. Unfortunately the parts
of the first solo violin are missing. These have been reconstructed
by Fabrizio Ammetto. The features of the violin parts in the
double concertos mentioned above are helpful in the process
of reconstruction. This has resulted in two beautiful concertos
with a nice interplay of the two solo violins.
The Concerto in B flat (RV 764) is a reworking of a concerto
for oboe and violin (RV 548). The largo is especially beautiful,
with the two violins involved in an engaging dialogue supported
by the basso continuo alone. The Concerto in A (RV 521)
is a case of literal imitation between the two violins, and
is described by Fabrizio Ammetto as "probably the result of
an experiment in polychoral composition". He suggests that Vivaldi
may have placed the soloists and even the tutti violins in different
locations. It is a most intriguing concerto, with demanding
solo parts.
The Concerto in B flat (RV 528), another reconstruction,
is also known from Bach's transcription for harpsichord (BWV
980). It exists in another version, with one solo part (RV 381).
It seems not quite clear which was the original version. In
this version for two violins the second plays a subordinate
role; in the slow movement it doesn't participate at all. The
liner-notes fail to make clear what exactly has been reconstructed
here. The disc ends with the Concerto in F (RV 765) which
also exists in a version with violin and organ as solo instruments
(RV 767). The technical demands of the soloists are limited
here.
This disc is very interesting in regard to the repertoire. No
fewer than three concertos (RV 528, 764 and 765) are recorded
here for the first time. The fact that some concertos needed
to be reconstructed makes this disc even more valuable as such
pieces are obviously not often played. Fortunately the interpreters
are fully up to the job; their playing is technically sound
and they grasp the character of the various concertos well.
Often this kind of music is played with one instrument per part.
That is not the case here: the tutti comprises four violins,
two violas and two cellos; one of the latter also participates
in the basso continuo. The result is a more robust sound and
a larger contrast between soli and tutti. It is impossible to
say which number of players is closer to the historical truth.
It seems that it could vary from one place to another or from
one occasion to another. I would have liked a more intimate
acoustic, but that in no way diminishes my appreciation for
this disc.
Johan van Veen
http://www.musica-dei-donum.org
https://twitter.com/johanvanveen
Angelo Cicillini and Luca Venturini (violins) 