Vivaldi x2 Double Concertos for Horns, Oboes, Violin & Cello, Oboe & Bassoon ANTONIO VIVALDI 1678–1741 Concerto in F RV 539 for 2 horns, strings & continuo Concerto in B flat RV 547 for violin, cello, strings & continuo 1 I. Allegro 3.09 17 I. Allegro 3.58 2 II. Larghetto 2.29 18 II. Andante 2.01 3 III. Allegro 2.42 19 III. Allegro molto 3.07 sponsored by Michael & Licia Crystal dedicated by Camilla Scarlett to the memory of her father Michael Scarlett Concerto in D minor RV 535 for 2 oboes, strings & continuo Concerto in A minor RV 536 for 2 oboes, strings & continuo 4 I. Largo 1.14 20 I. Allegro 2.35 5 II. Allegro 2.38 21 II. Largo 2.08 6 III. Largo 2.35 22 III. Allegro 1.55 7 IV. Allegro molto 3.02 sponsored by Glenys Phillips dedicated by Mary Kane to the memory of her brother Michael Kane Concerto per S.A.S.I.S.P.G.M.D.G.S.M.B. in F RV 574 Concerto in A RV 546 for violin, cello, strings & continuo for 2 horns, 2 oboes, bassoon, violin, cello, strings & continuo 8 I. Allegro 3.26 23 I. Allegro 4.39 9 II. Andante 3.09 24 II. Adagio 3.17 10 III. Allegro 3.15 25 III. Allegro 3.57 sponsored by Alison Wilkinson sponsored by Ben Mazower Concerto in G RV 545 for oboe*, bassoon, strings & continuo 75.32 11 I. Allegro 4.08 12 II. Largo 2.47 13 III. Allegro non molto 3.47 La Serenissima sponsored by Tony & Criona Mackintosh Adrian Chandler director & solo violin Anneke Scott, Jocelyn Lightfoot solo horns Concerto in F RV 538 for 2 horns, strings & continuo Rachel Chaplin*, Mark Baigent solo oboes 14 I. Allegro 3.21 15 II. Largo 2.40 Vladimir Waltham solo cello 16 III. Allegro non molto 3.17 Peter Whelan solo bassoon sponsored by Big Apple Baroque performed on period instruments 2 Anneke Scott horn Justyna Skatulnik violin II THANK YOU, THANK YOU Richard Seraphino!, USA, 2017, Jacek Wesołowski, Poland, 2017 copy of J. Leichambschneider, Vienna, c.1720 La Serenissima wishes to acknowledge the patronage of His Excellency The Italian violin II Ellen Bundy Ambassador to the UK, horn Kloz family, Mittenwald, c.1780 Jocelyn Lightfoot as well as core funding from The Foyle Foundation and J. Paul Getty Jr. Charitable Trust John Webb/Anthony Halstead, UK, 1995, Jane Rogers viola which has supported the orchestra’s activities during 2018. The recording sessions, which copy of M. Leichambschneider, Vienna, c.1720 Jan Pawlikowski, Poland, 2008, a"er Guarneri took place in February 2018, were made possible through a generous grant from Mr and Rachel Chaplin oboe Mrs J.A. Pye’s Charitable Settlement (see page 23). James O’Toole viola Wolfgang Küber, Germany, 2018, a"er Anciuti La Serenissima acknowledges the generous support of all its Friends, Patrons and Chair Eric Mawby, UK, 2012 a"er Guarneri Sponsors and in particular the following who have contributed specifically to support the Mark Baigent oboe Thomas Kirby viola release of this recording: Wolfgang Küber, Germany, 2018, a"er Anciuti Bernd Hiller, Germany, 2006 Rosemary Barnard Tony & Criona Mackintosh * Bill & Valerie Sellwood Peter Whelan bassoon Andrew Bounds Ben Mazower * Mark & Sue Vinter Vladimir Waltham cello Peter de Koningh, The Netherlands, 2007, Keith Chandler Bill & Valerie Monaghan Sam Webster Nicola Gagliano, Italy, c.1770 Michael & Licia Crystal * Glenys Phillips * Alison Wilkinson* a"er anonymous Venetian model on loan from the Jumpstart Jr. Foundation Mary Kane * Ian Pollock Big Apple Baroque * Adrian Chandler violin & director Tony Loader Camilla Scarlett * & other anonymous donors Carina Drury cello * concerto sponsor Rowland Ross, UK, 1981, a"er Amati Maker unknown, Italy, c.1850 Oliver Cave violin I The release of this CD has also been supported by a crowdfunding campaign through Pippa Macmillan double bass Martin Hilsden, UK, 1985, Global Giving www.globalgiving.org : La Serenissima is extremely grateful to the c.250 Maker unknown, Italy, c.1750 a"er anonymous c.1650 individual donors who contributed to this vital funding initiative. If you would like to help bring to life La Serenissima’s next CD recording, please Lynda Sayce theorbo & baroque guitar Joanne Green violin I contact Camilla Scarlett, General Manager, [email protected], who would be Theorbo in A by David Van Edwards, Norwich, 2007, Michiel de Hoog, France, 1988 delighted to share with you the group’s future artistic plans. a"er Matteo Buchenberg, Rome, 1614 Guy Button violin I Baroque guitar in E by Ivo Magherini, Bremen, 2002, Joannes Jais, Germany, c.1750 a"er Giovanni Tesler, Ancona, 1620 Baroque guitar in D by Edward Fitzgibbon, Camilla Scarlett violin II Oxford, 1998, a"er Antonio Stradivari, Venice, 1688 Editions: Adrian Chandler Rowland Ross, UK, 1996, a"er Amati La Serenissima would like to thank Michael Talbot for musicological advice and Francesco Fanna Joseph McHardy harpsichord at the Istituo Italiano Antonio Vivaldi in Venice for help in sourcing manuscripts. Simon Kodurand violin II Malcolm Greenhalgh, UK, 1989, Recording: 12–15 February 2018, Cedars Hall, Wells, Somerset, UK Christopher Rowe, UK, 1993, a"er Grimaldi c.1680 Keyboard preparation: Joseph McHardy a"er Guarneri del Gesù Temperament: Vallotti (RV 539, 535, 538, 547, 536, 574), Young (RV 546, 545) · Pitch: A = 440 Hz Recording produced, engineered, and edited by Simon Fox-Gál Photography: Stephen Page (pp. 6, 8); Tim Mintiens (p.10, Waltham); Jen Owens (p.10, Whelan); Eric Richmond (p.11) Design: Paul Marc Mitchell for WLP Ltd ൿ 2018 The copyright in this sound recording is owned by La Serenissima Ꭿ 2018 La Serenissima [email protected] · laserenissima.co.uk Registered charity no. 1154940. The Old Dairy, Hordley, Wootton, Woodstock, Oxfordshire, OX20 1EP, UK Marketed by Avie Records avie-records.com DDD 3 Vivaldi x2 This work is most unusual as the bassoon fulfils the roles of both soloist and bass accompaniment during the outer movements. The soloists are only joined by the The double concerto was a genre in which Vivaldi excelled. In terms of form, continuo during the Largo. there is nothing that di!erentiates it from the solo concerto, so it is strange that Whilst the two double horn concertos show certain similarities, such as choice Vivaldi was one of a very select few whose interest in this form was piqued. Other of key and the use of standard baroque hunting-calls, they di!er massively in prolific composers of the baroque solo concerto such as Tartini, Albinoni and the range employed by the soloists. RV 538 is more conservative whilst RV 539 Valentini composed no (proper) double concertos at all if their surviving output includes some of the highest writing found in the entire baroque horn repertoire. is to be believed. The only other composers to have composed notable examples Indeed, the autograph manuscript of this latter work shows that Vivaldi’s initial resided north of the Alps, where some Vivaldi double concertos (in particular plan was for an even harder first horn part, ascending two octaves above middle those of his Opus 3) were very popular. C, probably pointing to a di!erent set of soloists for each concerto. It is possible Vivaldi’s concertos for two soloists and orchestra include around 40 for pairs of that due to the extreme tessitura found in this work, Vivaldi’s recipients were instruments, whilst a further 15 survive for contrasting instruments such as violin in fact trumpeters, a doubling practice commonly adopted by Italian theatres, and organ, violin and oboe, and violin and cello; only three – for viola d’amore where high horn parts shared a range with that of the baroque trumpet; the and lute, oboe and bassoon and for oboe and cello – survive in single examples. techniques required by both instruments were relatively similar at this stage in Of the concertos for violin and cello, three survive complete whilst another the 18th century. One trumpeter who was known for his prowess on the horn survives in fragmentary form. On the title page of the A major concerto, Vivaldi was Lodovico Vacca, active in Rome from the 1710s up until around 1750. It is an assigns the bass solo line to either a cello or bass viol, an instrument which was interesting fact that trumpets and horns never play together in any of Vivaldi’s almost obsolete in Italy, apart from in a few centres such as at the court of the surviving operas. Medici and the Ospedale della Pietà in Venice where a consort of viols was still The low register of the concerto RV 538 posed greater problems for Vivaldi used from time to time. This famous foundling institution was synonymous with owing to the restricted nature of the harmonic series (i.e. notes that are playable the name of Vivaldi who was employed there on and o! for much of his career. on the baroque horn), which meant that melodic writing was almost impossible; Vivaldi’s oratorio of 1716, Juditha Triumphans, calls for a complete consort of viols this was probably what prompted Vivaldi to assign the cantabile slow movement whilst several concertos require between one and three instruments. Vivaldi’s to a solo cello. By contrast, the corresponding movement in RV 539 is beautifully nomenclature for this instrument was the viola all’inglese, an archaic-sounding written for the horns, a most uncommon feature, as usually brass instruments name probably referring to the sumptuous works which were composed for the would remain silent during the slow movements of concertos and sinfonias instrument in England during the previous century.