Vivaldi: Trio Sonata, Op. 1 No. 8 for Two Violins & Continuo in D minor, RV 64

In 1705, Giuseppe Sala published in Venice the Suonote do camera a tre, due violini o violone o cembalo op.1 of Antonio Vivaldi. This set of trio sonatas marked the official 'debut' of a composer who was already more than a mere youth (the 'Prete Rosso' was then 27-years old), and probably contains the earliest works of his that have come down to us. It is very likely, though, as Michael Talbot has pointed out, that the copy of 1705 is in fact a reprint of a now lost first edition published in 1703. However that may be, this collection dedicated to the Brescian nobleman Count Annibale Gambara displays a balance - at times, inevitably, somewhat precarious - between reference to codified formulas and models, on the one hand, and the definition of an original expressive voice on the other. In terms of scoring, his Op.1 adopts the recently created Italian format of the trio sonata, the output of which was dominated by the Arcadian reform of Arcangelo Corelli: even in Venice, where a renowned instrumental tradition already existed, Corelli's Opp.1-4 enjoyed almost immediate diffusion and were reprinted by the aforementioned Sala just a few years after the Roman first editions (in 1684, 1686, 1691 and 1695 respectively).

This CD includes Corelli’s Sonate da chiesa a tre, for 2 violins and continuo in G minor Op.1/10, Vivaldi’s Trio Sonata for 2 violins and continuo in D minor Op.1/8 and Mozart’s Quartet for flute, violin, viola and cello No.1 K285. The ensemble demonstrates brilliant mastery with their diverse and colourful playing.