CAL PERFORMANCES PRESENTS PROGRAM

Friday, January 27, 2012, 8pm (1685–1750) for Two Violins in D minor First Congregational Church (BW V 1043) Vivace Largo ma non tanto Allegro , violin & conductor Soloists: Fabio Biondi, Andrea Rognoni

PROGRAM (1685–1759) Suite from Rodrigo (1704) Ouverture Gigue New Faces & Old Sarabande Matelot Menuet Antonio Brioschi (fl. c. 1725–c.1750) Sinfonia in D major (bef. 1734) Bourree Allegro Menuet Andante piano Passacaille Presto

Program is subject to change. Double Concerto for Violin and in (Hob. 18:6) (1766) Allegro moderato Largo EUROPA GALANTE Presto Fabio Biondi, violin & conductor Soloists: Fabio Biondi, Paola Poncet violin 1 Fabi Ravasi Marco Frezzato Angelo Maria Scaccia (c. 1690–1761) Violin Concerto in E-flat major Isabella Bison Antonio Fantinuoli Allegro Elin Gabrielsson Adagio violone Allegro violin 2 Patxi Montero Andrea Rognoni Soloist: Fabio Biondi Luca Giardini theorbo Barbara Altobello Giangiacomo Pinardi (1678–1741) Concerto for Three Violins in G major, Op. 3, No. 3 (RV 310) viola harpsichord Allegro Stefano Marcocchi Paola Poncet Largo Gianni de Rosa Allegro Soloists: Fabio Biondi, Fabi Ravasi, Andrea Rognoni

Cal Performances’ 2011–2012 season is sponsored by Wells Fargo. INTERMISSION

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Antonio Brioschi (fl. c. 1725–c.1750) Joseph Haydn (1732–1809) Angelo Maria Scaccia (c. 1690–1761) Antonio Vivaldi (1678–1741) Sinfonia in D major Double Concerto for Violin and Harpsichord Violin Concerto in E-flat major Concerto for Three Violins in G major, Op. 3, in F major (Hob. 18:6) No. 3 (RV 310) Antonio Brioschi was a composer of early sym- Angelo Maria Scaccia was a violinist in be- phonies beginning in the 1740s. Along with Joseph Haydn lived so long and composed so ginning as early as 1711. Active in orches- Antonio Vivaldi, “The Red-Haired Priest,” ap- G. B. Sammartini, he helped to established much music that he became uncertain about the tras, Scaccia also played in the yearly Concerti di parently had a personality as lively as his mu- Milan as a great center of instrumental music. occasion or reason for composing many of his Quaresima, a series of concerts held during Lent, sic and the color of his hair. Traveling widely, A total of 51 symphonies by Brioschi have been works. One work about which his memory was when theaters were closed. Under the direction he seems to have taken every commission that found. They circulated widely in the mid-18th fuzzy was the Violin-Harpsichord Concerto, an of pioneer symphonist G. B. Sammartini, an came his way, in the process becoming an ex- century, becoming popular in many capitals, in- early work from before 1766 (the start of the of 60 players performed in these out- tremely prolific composer. His more than 400 cluding Paris, Prague and Stockholm. Esterházy period). Haydn thought he may have door events, which gave Milan widespread fame were some of his chief efforts. Vivaldi’s The Sinfonia in D major for string orchestra composed it for the 1756 ceremony in which his for its instrumental music. Beginning in 1720, reputation outside was made initially when with continuo was completed not later than 1734. future sister-in-law became a nun. For certain, Scaccia was a member of an elite theater orches- his L’Estro armonico, Op. 3, was published in Brioschi scholar Sarah Mandel-Yehuda writes: the concerto was written for some special oc- tra of “virtuosi,” and in 1751 he was awarded an Holland around 1712. Musical Europe was im- The music gains special vitality from the casion, since it is comparatively lengthy. Also, honorary degree of “patente di violinista.” pressed with these concertos, and J. J. Quantz varied rhythmic vocabulary, featuring some technical aspects suggest an early date. In Scaccia’s pre-classical concertos employed later remarked that at the time they were an “en- many syncopations, dance patterns, play any case, the work appeared in the Breitkopf cat- some elements left over from the baroque pe- tirely novel type of musical composition.” between symmetrical and asymmetrical alog in 1766, and it was Haydn’s only concerto riod. The shadow of Vivaldi hung heavily over L’Estro armonico contains concertos mostly phrases, and from the large leaps in the for two instruments. his music, and his use of ritornello form in the for one, two, and four violins. Just one is for melodic lines of the violin parts. In the double exposition of the first move- fast movements was backward-looking. three violins, and the only other three-violin The concise first movement is in two ment, we do not hear the soloists until the In the E-flat major Concerto, the first move- concerto by Vivaldi is the present one. He takes repeated sections, showing close inter- second time. Here, we perceive a quality that ment main theme is made up of chains of short a dual approach to writing for this little group. play between first and second violins shines throughout the work: a classical balance ideas, usually repeated immediately. The soloists’ Often he treats each violinist as a soloist, as he throughout. The first section exposes between soloists in both solo passages and those music features idiomatic violin figures for show- would have in a solo concerto. At other times, two main ideas. The second begins with where the instruments are combined. This plays ing off technique. Sometimes these are like little three soloists play together in a concerted style a contrasting passage featuring baroque out especially beautifully in the double cadenza comments on an idea from the main theme. like the concertino of a concerto grosso. (Bach ‘walking’ rhythms, then concluding near the movement’s ending. The second movement offers a bare pair of learned this dualistic approach well and applied with a modified reprise of ideas from the The steady beat in the bass accompaniment orchestral phrases at the beginning. After that, it in the Brandenburg Concertos.) first section. to the Largo seems like a remnant from the ba- the orchestra supports the solo violin, which Vivaldi’s fast-movement forms are simple: The Andante piano is not exactly roque “walking” bass sound. The music Haydn’s functions somewhat like an operatic soloist, Orchestral strings state a substantial theme tuneful, but its melodies are pleasant. writes above this, however, is much more classi- concluding with an opportunity for an ad libi- at the outset and then intersperse parts of the It is in a binary form similar to the first cal: the restrained orchestral theme and inter- tum cadenza before the orchestra join in for an theme in between virtuosic passages for the solo- movement. The relationship between twined solo lines that focus on beauty and ex- undulating ending. ists. In this concerto, the first movement’s main first and second violins is interesting, pression. Again, Haydn offers a double cadenza, An Allegro finale offers a rhythmically var- theme is strongly rhythmic. This contrasts richly sometimes very close, utilizing the same and although lovely, it does not grow organically ied opening theme, which the soloist develops at with the soloists’ segments, which often con- rhythm and melody. At other times, from the main ideas of this otherwise perfectly first. Orchestral segments are relatively long and sist of even fast notes. The first soloist receives the two parts play against each other crafted movement. varied, and not always related to the opening most of the spotlight—a part perhaps played in contrast. The Presto finale’s main points of inter- theme. The soloist comments on these ideas but by Vivaldi himself together with two advanced The finale is mostly a showcase for est are the frequent syncopations and other also presents Vivaldi-like figuration, culminat- students? the first violin. The music is rhythmical- constructions that skip over the downbeats of ing in a held chord, an optional cadenza, and a That spotlight continues to shine in the sec- ly incisive with several short ideas spun some measures. The soloists’ parts are especially sweeping scale that leads to a series of exchanges ond movement, where the soloist functions like out in succession. The form is in two playful in this movement, which, even in an between orchestra and soloist and a conclusive an operatic singer delivering an aria. All the parts like the first movement. However, early period, exemplifies the typical jollity of a re-iteration of the concerto’s home key. other players support this long cantilena, the so- the second part begins more like a real Haydn finale. loists playing fast broken chords and the orches- development of ideas before reprising tral strings playing chordal pizzicato. the main ideas and ending conclusively. The third movement proceeds much like the first. The main theme is different, but the formal procedure is the same. We hear a bit more from

6 CAL PERFORMANCES CAL PERFORMANCES 7 PROGRAM NOTES ABOUT THE ARTISTS the orchestral strings, and the soloists come to- George Frideric Handel (1685–1759) to record Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons and two gether as a group more often. In rounding out Suite from Rodrigo volumes of Luigi Boccherini’s string quintets, as this concerto, Vivaldi places the soloists in a well as arias from cantatas by J. S. Bach with high register near the end, producing a shim- From the time in the 17th century, when com- . mering effect. mercial public opera houses were opened, a com- The ensemble has been nominated three poser’s best bet for financial success and fame times for Grammy Awards—most recently for was to compose for these institutions. By the their collaboration with mezzo-soprano Vivica Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750) time that George Frideric Handel (1685–1759) Genaux in album of Vivaldi arias, Pyrotechnics, Concerto for Two Violins in D minor came to maturity, that trend was still in place, which won the Echo Classics award. Europa (BW V 1043) but in Germany the opportunities were very lim- Galante was nominated for Grammys in 2004 ited. Hamburg was the only city with a commer- for the CD of Vivaldi’s Concerti con molti Most of Bach’s orchestral works in concerto form cial opera company. Handel came to Hamburg strumenti and in 2006 for their recording of originated in his period at Cöthen (1717–1723) in 1703 and started as a second violinist in the Vivaldi’s . Their next recording projects or earlier. During the Cöthen period, he wrote opera orchestra, later playing the harpsichord. include a Vivaldi compilation La Stravaganza little or no church music, concentrating instead In 1705, his first opera, Almira, was given in Fowler Simon and Vivaldi’s Ercole sul Termodonte, with a on keyboard, chamber, and orchestral music for Hamburg. Nero followed in the same year. uropa galante has performed in many cast of Genaux, di Donato, Damrau, Lehtipuu the court. Only a few concertos have come down To perfect his technique and explore new op- Eof the world’s major concert halls and thea- and Basso. to us, although Bach experts speculate that there portunities for opera productions, he travelled to tres including in Milan, Accademia This past season, Europa Galante had a must have been many more now lost. Italy the following year, settling in . Using di Santa Cecilia in Rome, Suntory Hall in long tour in Sweden and performing in Europe Bach wrote three concertos featuring violin that as a base, he composed both sacred music , Concertgebouw in , Royal extensively (Italy, France, Spain, Germany, soloists. Two of them (in A minor and E major) and opera, including Rodrigo, first performed Albert Hall in , Musikverein in , ) with repertoire including Bach’s are for solo violin, and one in D minor (BWV in Florence in 1707. Almost immediately (and Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center in New York Orchestral Suites. Their season also included 1043) is for two violins. Vivaldi was the deepest mysteriously), the instrumental music from the and the Sydney Opera House. The ensemble has many concerts of the “Three Tenors” program influence on Bach wherever Italian forms (such opera became known in England, where most toured throughout Australia, Japan, Canada, with Ian Bostridge at Grand Théâtre d’Amiens, as the concerto) were concerned, and the two- of it was used in a play by Ben Jonson. With the Israel, the United States and South America. Théâtre des Champs-Elysées in Paris, Béla violin work bears some external similarities to addition of the final Passacaille, that music has Europa Galante’s repertoire includes the works Bartók National Concert Hall in Budapest, the Vivaldi. However, the spirit and compositional been rounded out as the present Suite. of Handel (Agrippina), Vivaldi (Bazajet) and in- Konzerthaus in Vienna, the Grand Auditorium technique of the work is pure Bach. Predictably, the movements of the Rodrigo strumental works through the 18th century. of Luxembourg, the Bruges Concertgebouw The first movement’s main theme and sev- Suite are French types. The Ouverture is among They have shown a great interest in the and the Barbican Centre in London. Opera pro- eral solo passages are constructed as miniature Handel’s most daring and incisive pieces of this works of , such as the grams included Ariosti’s La Fede nei Tradimenti, fugues, exposing a high degree of learnedness type. Most of the movements that follow are oratorios (Maddalena, La Santissima Trinità), which toured to festivals in Vienna, Siena and and depth. The second movement—one of the familiar in style: a jolly Gigue, a touchingly Seneratas (Clori, Dorino e Amore) and Montpellier, and Handel’s Agrippina at the most exquisitely wrought cantilenas in all of graceful Sarabande, two Menuets, a quick and such as Massimo Puppieno, Il Trionfo dell’Onore, Hallé Festival. Bach’s music—is actually a pastoral similar to busy Bourée, and a proud instrumental Air. The La Principessa Fedele and Carlo Re d’Allemagna. This season, Europa Galante tours in those scattered throughout his cantatas. The vig- Matelot is less familiar, but it is merely a French Europa Galante often collaborates with the Europe, Asia and the United States, presenting orous final movement contains passages where sailor’s dance. The concluding Passacaille is Fondazione Santa Cecilia in Rome to rediscover a program of instrumental works and a separate the two violins play repeated chords to accom- noteworthy for its virtuosic violin part, which and restore such 18th-century Italian operas as program with . pany the orchestra in the manner of an organ. dialogues with the strings and other instru- ’s La Passione di Gesù Cristo, Europa Galante is resident orchestra at In this movement, as in the first, Bach employs ments, seemingly inviting them to play more Leo’s Sant’Elena al Calvario or Di Mayo’s Gesu Fondazione Teatro Due in Parma. the violins not as individual solo instruments challenging, applause-getting music. sotto il peso Della Croce. The ensemble has a vary- Europa Galante with Fabio Biondi records but as a featured unit pitted against the main or- ing structure and often performs chamber music for Virgin Classics and may also be heard on chestra. Thus, the Concerto in D minor closely such as the string of Italian composers of Opus 111/Naïve. They appear by arrange- resembles the solo concerto’s ancestor, the con- Notes by Dr. Michael Fink the 17th century. ment with New World Classics, Kerby Lovallo, certo grosso. © 2011. All rights reserved. In 1998, after years of collaboration with Director ([email protected]). Learn the French record company Opus 111, Europa more about the artists at www.newworldclassics Galante signed a contract with Virgin Classics .com/galante.htm and www.europagalante.com.

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Born in Palermo, Fabio Mr. Biondi’s musical development, taking Biondi began his inter- in both the universal repertoire plus the redis- national career at age covering of minor composers, includes three twelve, performing his centuries of music. This is illustrated in his first solo concert with varied discography: Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons, the RAI Symphony Corelli’s Concerti Grossi, the oratorios, ser- Orchestra. Driven ear- DeLabraAna enatas and operas of Alessandro Scarlatti (La ly on by an inexhaustible cultural curiosity, Messa di Natale, Clori, Dorino e Amore, Massimo Mr. Biondi was introduced to pioneers of the Puppieno and Il trionfo dell’onore) Handel’s new approach to , an opportunity operas (Poro), and the 18th-century Italian that was to expand his musical vision and violin repertoire (Veracini, Vivaldi, Locatelli, change the direction of his career. Tartini), as well as sonatas by Bach, Schubert When he was 16, he was invited by the and Schumann. Mr. Biondi embodies the per- Musikverein of Vienna to perform Bach’s vio- petual pursuit of style, free from dogmatism and lin concertos. Since then, Fabio Biondi has he remains intent in his quest for the original performed with many ensembles, includ- language. It is because of this very approach that ing Cappella Real, Musica Antiqua Wien, he can collaborate as soloist and conductor with Seminario Musicale, La Chapelle Royale and many varied , including Santa Cecilia (since its founding), in Rome, the Rotterdam Chamber Orchestra, all specializing in the performance of baroque the European Baroque Orchestra, the Opera music using original technique and instruments. of Hallé, the Chamber Orchestra, the In 1990, Mr. Biondi founded Europa Chamber Orchestra of Norway, the Orchestre Galante, an ensemble which, in just a few years Nationale of Montpellier and the Mahler thanks to their worldwide concert schedule and Chamber Orchestra. extraordinary recording successes, became the Mr. Biondi also performs in duo with pi- most internationally renowned and awarded ano, harpsichord or fortepiano in venues around Italian ensemble of baroque music. Mr. Biondi the world, including the Carnegie Recital and his ensemble have been invited to play at Hall, Cité de la Musique in Paris, Hogi Hall in important international festivals and concert Tokyo, Auditorium Nacional in Madrid and the halls, from La Scala in Milan to the Accademia Wigmore Hall in London. di Santa Cecilia in Rome, the Suntory Hall in Since March 2005, Mr. Biondi has served Tokyo, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, the as artistic director for baroque music of the Royal Albert Hall in London, the Musikverein Stavanger Symphony Orchestra. Since 2011, in Vienna, Lincoln Center in New York and he has been academician of the Accademia Sydney Opera House. Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Rome. Europa Galante’s first record, of Vivaldi’s Next season, Mr. Biondi will conduct concertos, was awarded the Premio Cini of the Orchestre de Montpellier, Orquesta de la Venice and the Choc de la Musique, and was Comunidad de Madrid, Orquesta de la Coruña soon followed by a number of other awards, such and the Camerata of Patras. as five Diapasons d’Or and Diapason d’Or de Fabio Biondi plays an Andrea Guarneri l’Année in France, RTL Prize, “Record of the violin (Cremona, 1686). He also plays a 1766 Year” nominations in many countries, and the Carlo Ferdinando Gagliano violin, owned by Prix du Disque, ffff, by Telerama. In 2006, their his teacher Maestro Salvatore Cicero and kindly recording of Vivaldi’s Bajazet was nominated for lent to him by the Salvatore Cicero Foundation a Grammy Award. in Palermo.

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