Search - Locatelli, Haenchen, C.P.E. Bach Chamber Orch. :: Concerti Grossi

Roman tradition

katja_r | 11/04/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I find this CD to be entertaining and educational. The musicians play extremely well. My favourite piece of this package is the notes written by Joachim Steinheuer. A brief biography is provided in which I learned that, contrary to popular opinion, "there is no evidence to indicate that he took lessons with Arcangelo Corelli, who died little more than a year" after Locatelli's arrival at Rome. I also found it fascinating that Locatelli terminated his successful career as a travelling virtuoso to live in Amsterdam when he was 30. Concerning the music, Herr Steinheuer pointed me to things which I had not heard listening on my own. The D major concerto has a small "violin concerto" for a Vivace. In it I heard a distinct dialog between the solo violin and tutti, the remaining instruments. Also, in this concerto's first Allegro, the ritornelli, a tutti passage, in the upper part is homophonic. The third and fifth concerti are the only two which preserve the traditional four movement slow-fast-slow-fast structure. Yet, the G major dedicates only the first six bars to the "slow" movement as a way of introduction. In the F major concerto, Herr Steinheuer made note of the Largo which features an unrestrained melody from the harpsichord which is played according to the wishes of the performer. All of these and more from the notes provided me with a fresh and informative listening experience. If you are interested in Baroque music in the Roman tradition, or in learning about Locatelli and his music, this CD will be interesting to you."