Search - Davide Pozzi :: Antonio Vivaldi: Concerti per organo

The organ and other keyboard instruments were always considered harmonic support in the Baroque period. They constituted a constant presence in the accompaniment of the voice or other soloistic instruments and a fundamental part of larger groups as well. Nevertheless, the keyboard instrument was able to raise itself to a soloistic role thanks to the practice of transcription and, in certain cases, take over all of the orchestral parts. There were numerous keyboardists who transcribed orchestral music with great ability, sometimes creating real masterpieces for their instrument. This permitted them to perform well-known pieces without having to turn to other instrumentalists. Bach, for example, transcribed numerous concertos using, naturally, a large instrument equipped with pedal keyboard.+ The examples on this release are no less brilliant, though they dont call for a pedal part. This characteristic makes them suitable for harpsichord performance, which is analogously what happens with concertos transcribed by the Englishwoman Anne Dawson. Of strong musicological interest on this release is the juxtaposition of two transcriptions of the same piece, thus allowing for a full appreciation of notable stylistic differences.