Vivaldi’s exuberant double concertos are explored to fine effect
The Strad Issue: September 2024
Description: Vivaldi’s exuberant double concertos are explored to fine effect
Musicians: Oliver Cave, Samuel Staples (violins) Vladimir Waltham, Carina Drury (cellos) Rachel Chaplin (oboe), Katy Bircher (recorder, flute), Mark Baigent (recorder, oboe), Flavia Hirte (flute), Robin Bigwood (harpsichord) La Serenissima/Adrian Chandler (violin)
Works: Vivaldi: Double Concertos: C major for two violins, two oboes, two recorders, strings and continuo RV557; G minor for two cellos, strings and continuo RV531; C major for two flutes, strings and continuo RV533; G major for two violins, strings and continuo RV516; C major for two oboes, strings and continuo RV534; B flat major for two violins, strings and continuo RV524; F major ‘Il Proteo ò il Mondo al Roverscio’ for violin, cello, two flutes, two oboes, harpsichord, strings and continuo RV572
Catalogue number: SIGNUM SIGCD908
VIVALDI X22
This collection embraces a variety of Vivaldi’s concertos for identical pairs of instruments, of which there are around 40, showcasing his inventive skills and stylistic development. Adrian Chandler, the principal violin soloist in the double violin concertos, overcomes the technical hurdles of their fast movements with remarkable dexterity. He is well matched by Oliver Cave (RV516) and Samuel Staples (RV524), who join him largely in euphonious parallel or interact with him in short melodic phrases.
The central slow movements furnish contrast of content and texture, Chandler and his colleagues weaving flowing cantabile melodies over a light, colourful continuo. Cellists Vladimir Waltham and Carina Drury inevitably struggle somewhat to achieve optimum clarity of articulation in the sprightly outer movements of RV531, but they indulge in fluid melodic interplay, sensitively decorated, in its Largo. The close recording occasionally reproduces extraneous noise but combines pleasing spaciousness and bloom.
La Serenissima offers judiciously paced, expressive and infectiously energetic period-instrument support; it also provides the soloists for the concertos for winds, all neatly executed, with oboist Mark Baigent and flautist Katy Bircher emulating historical practice by ‘doubling’ on recorder for RV557’s Largo. RV572 brings together most of the aforementioned principals for a novelty final curtain call, its textures involving some unearthly solo parallel octave doublings.
ROBIN STOWELL
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