Four Violin Concerti by Antonio Vivaldi; The London Vivaldi Orchestra; Monica Huggett Musical Heritage Society (MHS 912267H) Publication date 1988

 It is surely no exaggeration to say that Vivaldi s music needs

no introduction. In recent decades his has become as much

a household name as Beethoven's or Mozart's —perhaps even

supplanting in genuine popularity his great German contem-

poraries Bach and Handel. But in his lifetime he was best

known as the greatest violinist of the age, and his composi-

tions were regarded primarily as vehicles for his virtuosity. But

these multitudinous works—the 12 collections published at

Amsterdam represented only the tip of the iceberg —had enor-

mous influence on Vivaldi's contemporaries and followers. Of

course, with some 500 concerti to his credit, he could hardly

be expected to maintain his inspiration at the highest level

throughout; but remarks like Charles Avison’s comment that

Vivaldi’s compositions were “equally defective in various har-

mony and true invention” were most unfair. (To give Avison

the benefit of the doubt, this probably reflects an opinion bas-

ed on a rather small sample of available works.) The more

modern wag who suggested that Vivaldi wrote the same con-

certo 500 times is deservedly left shrouded in obscurity. There

is indeed a wealth of variety, both in harmony and invention,

in Vivaldi’s concerti, and the present selection demonstrates

this admirably. Apart from certain obvious common features

of form and style, these contrasted works are united above

all by the omnipresence of Vivaldi’s vivacious musical personali-

ty; however, they certainly don’t sound like four reworkings

of the same compositional formula.

In about 1730 Vivaldi’s op. 11 set of violin concerti appeared

Antonio Vivaldi

(1678-1741)

FOUR VIOLIN CONCERT]

in Amsterdam, a major center of music publishing at the time.

The second of the set, “Il favorito,” which may be so-called

because it was well known earlier in manuscript versions or

for some lost programmatic reason, is worth singling out as

one of the very best concerti of the time. The opening move-

ment, within its 117 bars, contains dazzling technical effects

combined with the subtlest thematic organization and transfor-

mation. The opening ritornello presents four contrasted ideas

in quick succession; Vivaldi draws on these motives for the

tutti passages later, but in an always unpredictable variety of

combinations and guises. The solo passages, based partly on

these ideas and partly on fresh material, are accompanied in

three ways: by continuo alone, by violins alone (in unison),

or by upper strings (in three parts). This transparent texture —

solo violin with tutti violins and violas without bass —was a

favorite for Vivaldi’s slow movements, and the Andante is a

fine example. One of Vivaldi’s greatest gifts was the ability to

produce an operatic intensity of expression in a purely in-

strumental medium, allowing the violin to sing in its own, quite

unvocal, way. The final movement, no throwaway jig, counter-

balances the first in thematic economy with variety. The open-

ing ritornello again drops various thematic hints which are taken

up by the soloist in ever-increasingly virtuosic episodes.

Vivaldi’s enormous present-day popularity stems largely from

the revival of The Four Seasons, whose presence on a concert

program is a virtual guarantee of a full house. This well-worn

set of concerti opens his op. 8 collection, published in about

1725, where it is presented together with four descriptive son-

nets, matched line for line with the music. The collection’s ti-

tle, // cimento dell’armonia e dell’inventione (The contest bet-

ween harmony and invention), could be taken to refer to the

implied competition between music and poetry in mood-

painting. Concerto no. 5, “La tempesta di mare,” is another

in the set with a poetic “program,” yet is not nearly so well

known, undeservedly so. We don’t need to know the blow-by-

blow details of the maritime storm to enjoy this piece —Vivaldi’s

musical imagination is sufficient to ensure captivation without

poetic support. The bustling Presto, in which wind and waves

are suggested by repeated sixteenth notes and rushing scales,

is followed by a calmer Largo in which the solo violin is at first

interrupted, theniaccompanied by the orchestra's unison broken

chords. The vigorous final movement, again Presto, is a tour

de force for the soloist in which the orchestra takes a back

seat while the violin shows its paces.

After 1730 Vivaldi published no more concerti, preferring

to profit from the lively trade in manuscripts of his music. And

‘Peanwmactured in tne 0.5.0. By

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MHS STEREO 912267H

Also Available on Cassette MHC 32267A

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it is in manuscript that most of his music survives, notably

in a huge collection, probably once the composer's own,

discovered in 1920 and now in Turin’s National Library. The

first movement of the A major (RV 353), one of these

manuscript concerti, exploits to the full all the devices available

to the violinist, especially bariolage (rapid alternation between

open and stopped strings) and double-stopping, and makes

a searching exploration of the instrument's upper register. The

relative calm of the slow movement comes as a relief after such

activity, but it is just a lull before the energy of the final Allegro.

Here the dazzling pyrotechnics of the solo part threaten to

distract from the tautness of construction and harmonic inven-

tion of this thrilling finale.

“L'amoroso” is again a concerto in a different mood; not a

cloud disturbs the pastoral idyll of this love affair. The open-

ing Allegro is lilting and confident, relatively simple in harmony

and with an engaging vitality in its continuous triplets. There

follows the briefest of slow movements, a tiny aria only ten

bars long and of the utmost simplicity. This charming concer-

to is brought to a close by a lively movement which continues

the mood of radiant confidence.

Tim Crawford

Monica Huggett was born in London and studied the violin

at the Royal Academy of Music. She began playing the baro-

que violin towards the end of her studies, attracted by the quali-

ty of its sound. After several years of performing on both the

baroque and modern violin, it became clear to her that the early

instrument afforded far more possibilities of tone color,

dynamics, and dramatic contrast for expressing music of its

time. Miss Huggett has become one of the most active chamber

musicians and sought-after soloists in her field; she is an ex-

pert orchestral leader and has coached orchestras from Amster-

dam to Vancouver in the subtleties of baroque style and techni-

que. She has also been a pioneer in performing classical and

early romantic music on authentic instruments in chamber-

music settings and directing Beethoven symphonies and con-

certi (among others) from the violin. Her rapidly expanding

discography includes major solo violin repertoire by Bach,

Leclair, Couperin, and Vivaldi.

Timings:

Side 1: 4:35, 3:33, 4:44, (2:52, 2:24), 3:42/22:00

Side 2: 4:16. 2:18. 3:38. 4:44. 2:39. 3:34/21:27

Recorded in The Church of St. Barnabas, North Finchley

Produced and Recorded by Nicholas Parker

Production Assistant: Francis Silkstone

Executive Producer: Richard Harvey

Mastering: Bill Kipper, SNB Mastering

Cover Art: Antonio Vivaldi by EM. LaCave

Jacket Design: Nancy Kammerer

Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 88-743161

An Original Academy Sound & Vision Recording; © 1984

© Musical Heritage Society, Inc., 1988