Vivaldi: Concerto for Lute and 2 Violins in D major, RV 93

"There are baroque bands that are frankly dull and there are others on whom stylistic felicity sits naturally and gracefully; Il Giardino Armonico, an 11-strong period-instrument group of young Italians, is one of the most joyous to have come my way." Gramophone

Concerto Köln have hunted out the best seasonal pieces for a CD of Baroque repertoire from Corelli to Vivaldi and Bach. We can be confident that performances by this ensemble will always be fresh and new and that in their hands, standard repertoire is always worth rediscovering.

One of the United States best period instrument ensembles teams up with one of the worlds best lutenists to perform the music of one of the most beloved composers of all time for this exciting new release from Sono Luminus. The Bach Sinfonia, under the direction Daniel Abraham performs the lute works of Vivaldi with GRAMMY® Nominated lutenist Ronn McFarlane delivering one of the years most exciting concerto albums.

The Baroque concerto owes much of its development and advancement to Vivaldi. At the essence of the genre’s structure is idea of the ritornello. In the Baroque concerto, these reoccurring statements each alternate with modulating episodes with freer character in which the soloist(s) dominate the overall texture. Treatment of the ritornello within the works varies greatly among composers: whereas Bach and other Germans often integrated the ideas of the refrain, either complete or in part, as accompaniment to the episodes, Vivaldi relies heavily on exploring only specific ideas of the complete refrain and regularly ignores or alters other elements of the ritornello during repetitions.

In addition, Vivaldi’s works advance the standard Italianate concerto scheme of three movements in a fast-slow-fast pattern. The Bach Sinfonia is dedicated to excellence in performance, public education and disseminating a greater understanding of the variety of styles, composers, and masterpieces of the baroque, pre-classical, and classical periods. Specialists in the performance of music of the 17th and 18th centuries, the ensemble presents concerts, lectures, and other cultural events designed to be not only entertainment but also an educational experience. Their performances and recordings have received outstanding reviews and international recognition.

The work of conductor Daniel Abraham has garnered praise from many noteworthy sources including The Washington Post, Choral Journal, the BBC and Early Music America. Abraham’s performances have been nationally broadcast on National Public Radio’s Performance Today, he has appeared at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the Concert Hall of the Music Center at Strathmore, The National Women’s Museum of the Arts, and has prepared choruses for the national broadcasts of the Kennedy Center Honors Gala (PBS) and Christmas in Washington (TNT). Abraham is associate professor of music and director of choral activities at American University in Washington, D.C., and is a sought after clinician who has given master classes and clinics throughout the United States, Canada, and as far as Cairo, Egypt.

Ronn McFarlane, lutenist, is one of the most outstanding lutenists performing today and is largely responsible for bringing the transcendent charm and timeless quality of the lute into the musical mainstream and making it accessible to a larger audience. McFarlane has numerous recordings on the Dorian and then Sono Luminus labels including solo recordings, lute song recordings, over ten CDs with the Baltimore Consort and ballad recordings with Custer LaRue and members of the Baltimore Consort. In 2009, his CD Indigo Road, released with Sono Luminus, was nominated for a GRAMMY® award.

Along with the beautiful lute works featuring McFarlane, the album enjoys a beautiful vocal performance from soprano Jennifer Ellis Kampani as the featured soloist for In Turbato mare irato.

The Modern Mandolin Quartet presents a delightful alternative to a Christmas classic with the Dorian Sono Luminus release of Nutcracker Suite, an enchanting collection of music reinvisioned with instruments from the mandolin family: two mandolins, a mandola and mandocello.

The Modern Mandolin Quartet was formed in 1985 to give a new voice to that most American of musical instruments, the mandolin. Following the tradition of the mandolin orchestras and chamber groups from the early twentieth century, the MMQ uses the instruments of the mandolin family which correspond to the conventional string quartet (two mandolins, mandola, and mandocello). To date the Quartet has arranged and performed over 90 works originally written for orchestra, chamber ensemble, piano, guitar, and string quartet.

Miguel Llobet’s most popular works are the arrangements of Catalan folk songs (Canciones populares Catalanas). Llobet’s original solo guitar melodies have been re-arranged for mandolin quartet. The interesting, often strange harmonies he chose and the delicate texture of the guitar music made these pieces quite fun and natural for the MMQ.

MMQ has been performing their own fun version of Tchaikovsky’s masterpiece since 1991. Influenced by Mstislav Rostropovich’s extraordinary Berlin Philharmonic recording, MMQ brings its own other-worldly magic to this perennial musical favorite. Fauré’s haunting Pavane is bathed in harmonies which are quite rich and reminded the MMQ of jazz chords, and through improvisation the members of MMQ decided to include two solos in the finished product.

The Vivaldi Concerto in D Major is MMQ’s nod to the traditional plucked string repertoire. Its joyful energy and the quieter evocative quality of the second movement made this concerto a pleasure to play.

Léo Delibes composed his operatic masterpiece Lakme in 1883. This gorgeous musical selection (originally for soprano and mezzosoprano) translates beautifully in MMQ’s treatment and is a fitting close to the program. Lovers of traditional classical music, fans of plucked instruments, as well as fans of modern crossover arrangements are sure to flock to this intriguing re-imagination of these classical favorites.

The mandolin was essentially the instrument of amateur musicians in the early to mid 18th century. Vivaldi composed many concertos and trios for the young ladies of the Ospiedale della Pieta – including the famous G major RV532, which must rank as one of his most popular works after the Four Seasons.

The concertos and trios on this CD make a delightful programme, written for the pleasure of gifted students and patrons, full of the hallmarks of Vivaldian style that will not disappoint those who love the famous Four Seasons violin concertos from his Op.8 set. Simple, catchy melodies abound, in both still and often poignant slow movements as well as sparky fast movements.

Recording made in 2009.

Booklet notes.

Frederico Gugliemo studied with Salvatore Accardo, Isaac Stern , The Amadeus, LaSalle and Quartetto Italiano string quartets before turning to period instrument performance under the guidance of Christopher Hogwood.