T H E V E R Y B E S T

vivaldi booklet.qxd 22/08/2005 03:33pm Page 8

THE VERY BEST OF THE VERY BEST OF

Antonio Vivaldi (1678 – 1741) The Very Best of Vivaldi includes performances by: HIS LIFE Takako Nishizaki (violin); Capella Istropolitana / Stephen Gunzenhauser; Bela Drahos (flute); Nicolaus Esterházy Sinfonia; Keith Hurvey (cello); Raphael Wallfisch (cello); City of London Sinfonia / Nicholas Known in his native Venice as ‘The Red Priest’ on account of his shock of hair, Antonio Vivaldi Kraemer; Niklas Eklund (trumpet) was born in Venice in 1678, the son of a barber who later served as a violinist at the great Basilica of St Mark. GLOSSARY OF USEFUL TERMS: Vivaldi studied for the priesthood and was ordained in 1703. At the same time he won a reputation for himself as a violinist of phenomenal ability and was appointed violin-master at the ALLEGRO Ospedale della Pietà. Vivaldi’s association with the Pietà continued intermittently throughout his Allegro (Italian: cheerful, lively) is generally taken as fast, although not as fast as vivace or life, from 1723 under a contract that provided for the composition of two new concertos every presto. Allegretto is a diminutive, meaning slightly slower than allegro. These indications of month. speed or tempo are used as general titles for pieces of music headed by instructions of this kind. The first movement of a classical sonata, for example, is often 'an Allegro', just as the slow His later career brought involvement with the theatre, as director, manager and as the composer movement is often 'an Adagio'. of some fifty operas, many of which are now either lost or forgotten. Visitors to Venice had borne witness to Vivaldi’s prowess as a violinist, although some found his performance more CONCERTO remarkable than pleasurable. He certainly explored the full possibilities of the instrument, while A concerto is a piece of instrumental music that contrasts a solo instrument with the main body perfecting the newly developing form of the Italian solo concerto. He left nearly 500 concertos, of the orchestra. many for the violin but there were others for a variety of solo instruments or for groups of OPERA instruments. He claimed to be able to compose a new work quicker than a copyist could write it An opera is a drama in which most of the actors sing all or most of their parts. The form out, and he clearly coupled immense facility with a remarkable capacity for variety within the developed at the end of the 16th century in Italy, from where it spread to other regions of Europe, confines of the three-movement form, with its faster outer movements framing a central slow although it never became a regular part of London musical life until the early 18th century. The movement. 19th century brought particular developments in German romantic opera and in the innovative Although at one time he had been worth 50,000 ducats a year, his career in fickle Venice began music-dramas of Wagner. to wane in the late 1730s and in 1741 he left for Vienna, where there seemed some possibility of SONATA revitalising his career under imperial patronage. He died there a few weeks after his arrival, in The title sonata originally designated music that was to be played rather than sung. The form relative poverty. grew out of Baroque trio sonata, but developed into a hugely important formula for stating musical ideas. The classical sonata is generally in several movements and usually involves one or more instruments. There was in particular a development of the solo keyboard sonata, from CPE Bach to Beethoven. The 19th century brought an expansion of the sonata and greater freedom in the treatment of existing forms, often with more considerable technical demands on performers, as in the violin and piano sonatas and cello and piano sonatas of Beethoven and Brahms.

2 8.552102-03 8.552102-03 7 vivaldi booklet.qxd 22/08/2005 03:33pm Page 6

OPERAS CONCERTOS Griselda: Agitata da due venti (CD1, track 6) THE FOUR SEASONS Tito Manlio: Combatta un gentil cor (CD2, track 10) The Four Seasons ‘Spring’: Allegro (CD1, track 1) Vivaldi wrote several operas between 1713 and 1741 which, until very recently, have been lost to The Four Seasons ‘Summer’: Presto (CD1, track 8) history. This prolific composer in fact penned 22 operatic scores during his lifetime. The Four Seasons ‘Autumn’: Allegro (CD2: track 4) The opera Tito Manlio was first staged in 1719 in Mantua, where, a year earlier, Vivaldi had been The Four Seasons ‘Winter’: Largo (CD2, track 11) appointed maestro di cappella da camera to the governor, Prince Philip of Hesse-Darmstadt, a title Of the 500 concertos written by Vivaldi, the most famous, in his own lifetime as well as now is he retained after his return to Venice. the four known as Le Quattro Stagioni or The Four Seasons. Musical paintings to which Vivaldi The plot of the opera deals with hostilities between Romans and Latins, in which matters are attached explanatory programmatic sonnets, these four concertos, for solo violin, string complicated by the love of Vitellia, daughter of the Roman consul of the title, and Lucio, a Latin orchestra and harpsichord, form part of a collection Il cimento dell’armonia e dell’invenzione (The knight. Tito Manlio’s son, Manlio, is betrothed to Servilia, sister of the Latin commander, Geminio. Contest of Harmony and Invention). In the second act aria Combatta un gentil cor Lucio feels bound to defend Manlio, imprisoned and The first concerto, ‘Spring’, of which we hear the vibrant first movement, opens with the cheerful condemned by his father, not least in his debt for Manlio’s killing of Geminio, Lucio’s rival for the song of the birds that welcomes the season, followed by the gentle murmur of streams fanned love of Vitellia. The opera ends in general happiness, with Manlio forgiven and united with Servilia, by the breeze. In the second concerto ‘Summer’, the music grows more energetic as the cuckoo and Lucio, possibly, with Vitellia. sings, followed by the turtle-dove and the goldfinch. In the final movement Presto the fears of thunder are realised as a storm batters the crops. The third concerto ‘Autumn’ opens with the Vivaldi’s virtuoso aria for soprano, strings and continuo, Agitata da due venti, is taken from the dance and song of the country-people, in work that has much of the artifice of the traditional second scene of the second act of his opera Griselda, first performed at the Teatro San Samuele in pastoral convention. This is a celebration of the harvest. The concerto dedicated to the last of the Venice during the Ascension fair of May 1735. Apostolo Zeno’s libretto was revised by none other seasons, ‘Winter’, brings cold winds, the stamping of feet and chattering teeth. The slow than the young Carlo Goldoni. The aria displays the classic predicament of a heroine having to movement shelters by the warmth of the fireside, while the rain falls outside. choose between two loves, a situation reflected in the poetic and musical text by the image of a ship tossed on a stormy sea. It was written for the celebrated soprano Margherita Giocamazzi, If you would like to hear the full recording, please try: whose astonishing vocal technique included an immense range descending into the alto register, The Four Seasons ...... 8.550056 wide skips, and rapid repeated notes. In addition to concertos for solo violin, Vivaldi also wrote concertos for many other solo instruments, including the flute, oboe, bassoon, cello and viola d’amore, and for groups of solo instruments.

6 8.552102-03 8.552102-03 3 vivaldi booklet.qxd 22/08/2005 03:33pm Page 4

WIND CONCERTOS CHURCH MUSIC Flute Concerto Op.10, No.2 ‘La notte’ (CD1, track 2) Gloria RV 589: Gloria (CD2, track 1) Flute Concerto Op.10 No.1 ‘La tempesta di mare’ (CD2, track 5) Nulla in mundo pax sincera: Aria (CD2, track 7) Flautino Concerto RV444 (CD1, track 12) Dixit dominus: Gloria Patri, Sicut erat in principio, Et in saecula saeculorum (CD2, track 13) Sopranino Recorder Concerto RV443: Allegro & Largo (CD2, tracks 2-3) The surviving church music of Vivaldi includes the well known Gloria, in addition to a number of Oboe Concerto RV 461 (CD2, track 12) settings of Psalms and Motets. One of the most striking features of Vivaldi’s style is his ability to Bassoon Concerto RV498 (CD1, track 7) fashion melodies out of any musical material, and this facility is nowhere better illustrated than in Double Trumpet Concerto RV537 (CD1, track 9) the opening movement of the Gloria. STRING CONCERTOS The motet Nulla in mundo pax sincera, RV 630, is scored for solo soprano, strings and continuo. Double Cello Concerto RV531: Allegro & Largo (CD1, tracks 3-4) The text is anonymous. The first section is a siciliano, a conventionally pastoral evocation of the sacred peace that is its verbal theme. The temptations of the world are alluded to in the following Mandolin Concerto RV425: Allegro (CD2, track 6) recitative, with figuration that reflects the text. The following aria allows the usual embellishments Violin Concerto Op.4 No.5 RV347 (CD2, track 8) and short cadenza in its repeated first section. The original key of E major returns in the elaborate *Lute (Chamber) Concerto RV 93: Allegro (CD2, track 9) closing ‘Alleluia’. OTHER CONCERTOS The second surviving setting by Vivaldi of the Vespers Psalm CIX, Dixit Dominus, RV 595, is scored for two oboes, trumpet, strings, continuo, five vocal soloists and five-part chorus. The Concerto alla rustica (CD1, track 5) opening makes celebratory use of the orchestra, accompanying and framing the choral Concerto Grosso Op.3, No.10: ‘L’estro armonico’ (CD1, track 10) proclamation of the first verse of the Psalm. If you enjoyed the examples of Vivaldi’s Concertos, please try: If you enjoyed these extracts from Vivaldi’s church music, please try: Cello Concertos Vol. 1 – 4 ...... 8.550907, 8.550908, 8.550909, 8.550910 Gloria / Beatus vir ...... 8.550767 Concertos Op. 3 ‘L’estro armonico’...... 8.550160 Dixit Dominus / Gloria ...... 8.557445 Dresden Concertos Vols. 1 – 4 ...... 8.553792, 8.553793, 8.553860, 8.554310 Flute Concertos Vols. 1 & 2...... 8.553365 & 8.553101 CHAMBER MUSIC La Stravaganza Vols. 1 & 2 ...... 8.553323 & 8.553324 Violin Sonata RV 31 (CD1, track 11) Oboe Concertos Vols. 1 & 2 ...... 8.550859 & 8.550860 Vivaldi wrote a number of sonatas and trio sonatas, many of them designed for one or two violins Violin Concertos Op. 8...... 8.550189 and basso continuo. He also wrote a series of chamber concertos, compositions similar in Wind Concertos...... 8.550386 approach to the solo and multiple concertos, but scored for smaller groups of instruments.

*Paul O’dette, The Parley of Instruments, Roy Goodman For more examples of Vivaldi’s chamber music, please try: Courtesy of Hyperion Records Ltd., London Trio Sonatas Op. 1 & Op. 5, No. 5...... 8.550377 P & C 1985 Baroque Violin Favourites ...... 8.555960

4 8.552102-03 8.552102-03 5 vivaldi booklet.qxd 22/08/2005 03:33pm Page 4

4 8.552102-03 8.552102-03 5 vivaldi booklet.qxd 22/08/2005 03:33pm Page 6

6 8.552102-03 8.552102-03 3 vivaldi booklet.qxd 22/08/2005 03:33pm Page 2

2 8.552102-03 8.552102-03 7 vivaldi booklet.qxd 22/08/2005 03:33pm Page 8

THE VERY BEST OF THE VERY BEST OF

CD1 1 The Four Seasons ‘Spring’: Allegro ...... 3:32 2 Flute Concerto Op.10, No.2 ‘La notte’ ...... 9:20 3-4 Double Cello Concerto RV531: Allegro & Largo ...... 8:15 5 Concerto alla rustica ...... 4:31 6 Griselda: Agitata da due venti ...... 5:56 7 Bassoon Concerto RV498 ...... 9:51 8 The Four Seasons ‘Summer’: Presto ...... 3:06 9 Double Trumpet Concerto RV537 ...... 7:01 10 Concerto Grosso Op.3, No.10 ‘L’estro armonico’ ...... 9:06 11 Violin Sonata RV 31 ...... 6:45 12 Flautino Concerto RV444 ...... 9:46 Total Timing ...... 77:11 CD2 1 Gloria RV 589: Gloria ...... 2:49 2-3 Sopranino Recorder Concerto RV443: Allegro & Largo ...... 9:12 4 The Four Seasons ‘Autumn’: Allegro ...... 4:51 5 Flute Concerto Op.10 No.1 ‘La tempesta di mare’ ...... 6:51 6 Mandolin Concerto RV425: Allegro ...... 2:55 7 Nulla in mundo pax sincera: Aria ...... 7:50 8 Violin Concerto Op.4 No.5 RV347 ...... 9:15 9 Lute (Chamber) Concerto RV 93: Allegro ...... 3:32 10 Tito Manlio: Combatta un gentil cor ...... 4:38 11 The Four Seasons ‘Winter’: Largo ...... 2:22 12 Oboe Concerto RV 461 ...... 9:42 13 Dixit dominus: Gloria Patri, Sicut erat in principio, Et in saecula saeculorum ...... 5:49 Total Timing ...... 69:47 FOR FULL LIST OF VIVALDI RECORDINGS WITH ARTIST DETAILS AND FOR A GLOSSARY OF MUSICAL TERMS PLEASE GO TO 2 CDs WWW.NAXOS.COM NAXOS THE VERY BEST OF 8.552101-02 s OF Agitata da due venti : Flautino Concerto RV444 Griselda @ 6 Allegro : Double Trumpet Concerto RV537 Double Trumpet Allegro & Largo ‘La tempesta di mare’ : ‘La notte’ Aria 9 : Largo : Presto : Violin Sonata RV 31 Concerto alla rustica ‘Winter’ ! 5 ‘Summer’ (Charles de Brosses,1739) Gloria Patri, Sicut erat in principio, Et in saecula saeculorum : Lute (Chamber) Concerto RV 93 Lute (Chamber) Concerto RV VERY BEST VERY Flute Concerto Op. 10 No. 1 Nulla in mundo pax sincera Flute Concerto Op. 10, No.2 Allegro & Largo 9 : 5 The Four Seasons 7 2 1987-2005 Naxos Rights International Ltd. 2005 Naxos Rights International Ltd. 8.552101-02 ISBN 1-84379-207-9 p c Cartoon: John Minnion www.naxos.com ‘L’estro armonico’ ‘L’estro ! The Four Seasons Sopranino Recorder Concerto RV443 Sopranino Recorder Concerto Allegro : Allegro Allegro Dixit dominus 8 3 : : # & 2 THE THE ‘Spring’ ‘Autumn’ Gloria : Combatta un gentil cor , Vivaldi also penned hundreds of concertos, choral works and even operas. Incredibly prolific, new works Incredibly prolific, new choral works and even operas. hundreds of concertos, , Vivaldi also penned : Double Cello Concerto RV531 4 ito Manlio Bassoon Concerto RV498 The Four Seasons Mandolin Concerto RV425 RV347 Violin Concerto Op. 4 No. 5 T Oboe Concerto RV 461 The Four Seasons Concerto Grosso Op. 3, No. 10 Concerto Grosso Op. 3, No. & Gloria RV 589 “He is an old man who composes furiously and prodigiously. I have heard him I have prodigiously. furiously and old man who composes “He is an of his are being unearthed to this day. There is no better way to discover Vivaldi than with this generous 2 CD selection of hi There is no better way to discover Vivaldi than with this day. of his are being unearthed to very works. best 7 4 6 8 0 @ Known in his native Venice as “The Red Priest” on account of his shock of hair, Antonio Vivaldi breathed life into the baroque Antonio Vivaldi breathed of his shock of hair, as “The Red Priest” on account Venice Known in his native for the dazzling Although now best known with incredible daring and originality. him and refashioned music forms around ‘Four Seasons’ Compact Disc 1 1 0 3 Compact Disc 2 1 compose a concerto with all its parts more quickly than a copyist could copy it” than a copyist its parts more quickly a concerto with all compose

NAXOS THE VERY BEST OF 8.552101-02 Rears 22/08/2005 01:49pm Page 10 01:49pm 22/08/2005 Rears