MEDITERRANEO with DANIEL PINTENO Feel the Fervour of Southern Spain

PRINCIPAL PARTNER MEDITERRANEO WITH DANIEL PINTENO Feel the fervour of southern Spain ONE WORLD PREMIERE | TWO AUSTRALIAN PREMIERES | BOLDLY BAROQUE PROGRAM NOTES In 1737 the castrato Farinelli, the greatest singer produced by Farinelli in the magnificent gardens royal family were offended by Facco’s refusal, a recurring ritornello (refrain) alternating with in Europe, was appointed by King Philip V of of the Buen Retiro royal palace at Madrid. because when Maria Bárbara married the heir contrasting episodes featuring the soloist. After Spain, as ‘my servant, who answers only to me or to the Spanish throne and moved to Madrid, a short expressive second movement built on to the queen, my very beloved wife, for his unique What to listen for accompanied by Scarlatti, Facco’s standing slowly changing harmonies, the last movement talent and skill in the art of singing’. Philip gave within the court dramatically declined. begins with a short fugue in four parts before him an extremely generous salary, ‘a decent and This overture is described as a più stromenti – for launching into a buoyant saltarello, a dance form suitable Lodging for his person and family as well many instruments – but this seems a misnomer, Facco composed a number of operas for the based on a hopping figure. in all my Royal Seats as in any other place where as it is a showcase for the solo violin, with two Spanish court, and was the first composer to he may be ordered to attend on my Person’, two other violin parts, supported by continuo. It is in write an opera in the new modern Italian style ANTONIO VIVALDI (1678–1741) mules for city travel and six mules for the country, three short movements, the last being marked but with a Spanish libretto. He also composed and various other perks. Farinelli had to sing to ‘presto spiccato’. Spiccato is an advanced bowing cantatas and serenades, and a significant Concerto for Flute La Notte in G Minor, the king every night, as a cure for his depression, technique used to play short notes, in which the amount of instrumental music, however nearly Op. 10, No. 2 and as artistic director of the opera theatres bow appears to bounce on the string. all of it was lost in a fire in the royal palace in at Madrid and Aranjuez he mounted fabulous Madrid, and his music was not heard again until Largo Presto – Fantasmi (Ghosts) productions of Italian opera, employing Italian GIACOMO (JAIME) FACCO (1676–1753) the score of the collection of concertos entitled singers and Italian orchestral players. Pensieri adriarmonici was discovered in an Largo Concerto from Pensieri Adriarmonici archive in Mexico City in 1961. On the title page Presto Farinelli was the most famous and best paid of in E Major, Op. 1, No. 3 Facco describes himself as ‘Venetian musician Largo – Il sonno (Sleep) the many Italian musicians who arrived in Spain and currently servant of His Excellency’ the Allegro in the first half of the eighteenth century, in Allegro assai Viceroy of Sicily, so it appears that he composed response to the new enthusiasm for Italian music Adagio the collection before he moved to Madrid. It was Vivaldi gave three of his concertos the title ‘La among the Spanish elite. This was driven in large Allegro assai published in Amsterdam between 1716 and 1718, notte’, or night. This one for solo flute, dating part by Philip V (who was in fact French). He soon after Vivaldi’s L’estro armonico which almost from 1729, is an extended arrangement of the wanted to project an image of himself at home Facco was born near Padua, in northern Italy, but certainly inspired it. first, a chamber concerto (for a small number and abroad as a modern cosmopolitan ruler, other than his birthplace nothing is known about of instruments with no orchestra) written about and adopting the latest fashionable Italian music his early life or how he came to be working for What to listen for ten years earlier. Along with his Four Seasons bolstered that image. the Spanish Viceroy of Sicily in the 1710s, when concertos, it is the most programmatic of he was described as the Viceroy’s ‘Virtuoso’. Facco’s birthplace of Padua was at that time part Vivaldi’s music, that is, it is instrumental music When the Viceroy returned to Spain Facco went of the Venetian Republic, hence his description of which depicts a story or scene. VICENTE BASSET (ACTIVE 1748–1762) with him, and worked as a violinist and cellist in himself as a Venetian musician. Venice lies on the Overtura a più stromenti in D Major, Bas-9 the orchestra which served the Spanish court. Adriatic Sea, and the title of the collection means In the Baroque period certain keys were He also served as music teacher to the teenaged ‘reflections on Adriatic harmonies’. ‘Adriatic’ associated with particular affects or emotions. Allegro assai sons of the Spanish king, and composed works probably should be taken to imply ‘Venetian’, G minor represented fear, agitation or revenge, Moderato for important court occasions. It is clear that he as these concertos are very much in the new and was a deliberate choice by Vivaldi for a Presto spiccato was highly regarded, as he was asked by the Venetian style popularised by Vivaldi, being for concerto which was intended to conjure up King of Portugal to teach his daughter, Princess solo violin and strings in three movements. In silence, mystery and disturbing nocturnal visions. Little is known about Vicente Basset, not even Maria Bárbara, however he refused and the this concerto, however, for the most part the Nothing is known about why it was composed or his nationality. His name appears on lists of position was taken instead by the famous Italian soloist joins with the first violins and is not given for whom, however the virtuosic flute part pushed orchestral players in Madrid in the middle of the composer and keyboard player Domenico an opportunity for the virtuosic display which the boundaries of contemporary flute playing eighteenth century, and he played the violin in Scarlatti, son of the equally famous Alessandro was typical of Vivaldi’s concertos. The bright technique and Vivaldi must have intended it for Scarlatti. It appears that the Portuguese 10 the orchestra which accompanied Italian operas first movement is closest in style to Vivaldi, with an excellent flute player. 11 PROGRAM NOTES What to listen for What to listen for the publication in 1711 of his Opus 3, a collection What to listen for of twelve concertos that he called L’e s t r o The concerto is atypical of Vivaldi’s usual This work is variously described as either an armonico. It was the largest and most expensive A particularly striking feature of Vivaldi’s compositional style in many respects. All of the overture or a sinfonia. It could have been collection of music published up to that time. compositional style, and one which other ‘night’ concertos have six movements (instead of intended as an overture, probably to a comic L’estro armonico means frenzied or passionate composers quickly followed, was to build the the usual three), and are characterised by sudden opera, judging by the style of the first movement harmony, an appropriate title given the sheer fast first and third movements of his concertos changes of tempo, bizarre twists and turns which alternates quick running melodic patterns energy and vigour of Vivaldi’s style expressed on repeated refrains (ritornellos), which he slightly in harmonic direction, and unexpected shifts with held repeated notes. Alternatively it could in forceful rhythms and endless variety, which varied each time to maintain interest and give a between major and minor. The first movement have been a concert symphony, however by along with the concertos’ originality in terms of sense of momentum. These are played by the of this concerto begins with the orchestra in 1780, when López composed this piece, it had musical form made them so fascinating. full orchestra, and are contrasted with virtuosic unison in a dotted rhythm, which though similar become standard practice for a symphony to solo episodes, also varied each time. This can to a French overture is full of foreboding. The have four movements, whereas this work has This seminal work provided a model for concerto be heard very clearly in this concerto’s lively second fast movement, titled ‘Ghosts’ by Vivaldi, only three. composition that was followed and built on by first movement, which is then contrasted with a is marked by rushing ascending scales. A Largo other composers from France to Germany to graceful, gentle slow central movement. This is (slow) movement provides a calm interlude of rest The first movement opens with military style Italy for years to come. J S Bach developed his again typical of Vivaldi, with all the interest given before another agitated Presto. In the second fanfare motifs for horns, and extended solo compositional style by studying and transcribing to the solo violin, while the orchestra essentially Largo, ‘Sleep’ is represented by long, soft notes passages for a pair of oboes. This was innovative six of these concertos; this particular concerto plays accompanying chords. The final movement which barely seem to change in an unusually writing for the period, when it was still quite was the basis for his harpsichord concerto BWV is also dominated by the solo violin, whose part static harmony. new to feature wind instruments in this way. 972. Other composers transcribed them for is increasingly virtuosic. Unexpectedly, a contrasting middle section for instruments as varied as the carillon, harp, glass solo violin has the character of a concerto as harmonica and unaccompanied violin.

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