Vivaldi: Trio Sonata in A minor RV86

"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

Despite Vivaldi’s impressive output of highly demanding solo concertos for 'flauto' or 'flautino', only one single sonata has survived. Nevertheless there is an overwhelming quantity of music which was already during the famous Red Priest’s life time, subject to many transformations. Traces of Vivaldi’s concertos, violin sonatas and even sacred music can be found in a collection of Six Sonatas by Ignazio Sieber, a German oboe and flute teacher at the Ospedale della Pietà. Other Venetian composers are included in this album: Albinoni’s Sonate da chiesa Opus 4 is a forgery similar to Vivaldi’s 'Il pastor fido' which gives way to further alterations. Although Benedetto Marcello originally composed 12 original sonatas in order to satisfy the appetite of the steadily increasing circle of northern European recorder aficionados, a more virtuoso 13th sonata has emerged.

Together with Vivaldi’s 'Trio for recorder and bassoon' and Veracini’s expressive 'Sonata Sesta', Dirk Börner and Michael Form have created a fascinating panorama where the borders between original, transcription, improvisation and new-composed music are floating, in a very baroque manner denying the romantic idea of opus absolutum.

The playing of Adrian Chandler and his crack period-instrument band La Serenissima emulates the title of their eighth release for Avie, mining the treasures of Vivaldi’s vast output.

Who are these Gods, Emperors and Angels in the title of the latest virtuoso vehicle for Adrian Chandler and his dazzling period-instrument band La Serenissima? Vivaldi was connected to many Highnesses on the European continent, foremost among them the widely cultured Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV to whom Vivaldi dedicated his set of concertos titled La Cetra, meaning “The Lyre,” hence likening the emperor to the lyre playing god Apollo. The theme continues with the oddly titled Concerto Conca or “Conch Concerto,” alluding to the use of the conch shell as a musical trumpet, heard in the work’s first movement, and as used by Triton, son of Neptune and Amphitrite, and by Neptune’s attendants. The Angels are undoubtedly Vivaldi’s virtuoso female students at the Ospedale della Pietà, one of which was described in a contemporary anonymous poem: “She plays the violin in such a way / that anyone hearing her is transported to Paradise / if indeed it is true that up there / the angels play like that.”

Chandler and his forces, delivering their eighth imaginative album for Avie, play like gods, emperors and angels indeed, further securing their exalted place in the realms of early music performance.

The recorder only features in a handful of Vivaldi’s concertos. Well known for being an exceptional violinist, Vivaldi’s innovative style is apparent in his compositions for other instruments too. He used the same technique as when he composed for the violin, using a musical language marked by gigantic tonal ranges whether or not they were models for this in their respective repertoire. The result is a concert repertoire that is madly virtuosic and music of the greatest variety. Some could even say his recorder concertos represent the greatest challenge in the baroque repertoire.

Michael Schneider, regarded as one of today’s best German recorder players, presents his own interpretation of this fascinating group of works.