Pandolfi Pandolfi: Violin Sonatas Genre:Classical All we know about the mysterious Giovanni Antonio Pandolfi Meali--as his full name runs--is that he "flourished" at the court of Innsbruck between 1660 and 1669. And we probably wouldn't know even that, save for the fact t... more »hat two sets of violin sonatas, designated Op. 3 and Op. 4, respectively, and dating from 1660, have somehow survived to the present day. Anyone familiar with the music of this period will realize just what a treasure these works potentially represent, for this was the moment of the emergence of the first great school of violin playing in Italy and Austria, typified by the dazzling music of Biber and his Salzburg contemporaries. Pandolfi was clearly one of the gang: his music is by turns winsomely lyrical and technically brilliant. None of these 12 works is longer than eight minutes, and each is a little suite of arias and dances full of contrast and invention. Andrew Manze is not just the world's best baroque violinist, he's one of the world's best violinists, period. His interpretations of these appealing sonatas are matchless, and Harmonia Mundi's sonics bathe both violin and harpsichord in a golden glow. Magnificent. --David Hurwitz« less
All we know about the mysterious Giovanni Antonio Pandolfi Meali--as his full name runs--is that he "flourished" at the court of Innsbruck between 1660 and 1669. And we probably wouldn't know even that, save for the fact that two sets of violin sonatas, designated Op. 3 and Op. 4, respectively, and dating from 1660, have somehow survived to the present day. Anyone familiar with the music of this period will realize just what a treasure these works potentially represent, for this was the moment of the emergence of the first great school of violin playing in Italy and Austria, typified by the dazzling music of Biber and his Salzburg contemporaries. Pandolfi was clearly one of the gang: his music is by turns winsomely lyrical and technically brilliant. None of these 12 works is longer than eight minutes, and each is a little suite of arias and dances full of contrast and invention. Andrew Manze is not just the world's best baroque violinist, he's one of the world's best violinists, period. His interpretations of these appealing sonatas are matchless, and Harmonia Mundi's sonics bathe both violin and harpsichord in a golden glow. Magnificent. --David Hurwitz
CD Reviews
A great C..D. of baroque violin music with harpsichord.
09/30/1999
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This C.D.contains Pandolfi's 6 sonatas from Opus 3 and 6 from Opus 4. These are virtuoso performances of some extraordinary music. Each sonata has its own descriptive subtitle and a movement layout.You really get your money's worth as the C.D. is 80 minutes long(Harmonia Mundi 907241).Andrew Manze is a superstar of the baroque violin. Richard Egarr is a sensitive harpsichordist accompaning Manze on this C.D. The music reminds you of Uccellini. A great C.D."
Beautiful violin sonatas of the "middle" baroque
Christopher McKoy | La Canada Flintridge, CA United States | 08/19/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Andrew Manze is an extraordinarily gifted violinst. Let me say right away that Manze's playing is not "squeaky" or "scratchy," as authentic performances of baroque violin music are often (sometimes with justification) said to be. Manze is clearly a virtuoso but he also plays the slower passages of these sonatas with great feeling.
Pandolfi's wonderful sonatas are from the middle baroque. Most popular baroque music, e.g., Bach, Handel, Vivaldi, Telemann, etc., is from the late Baroque, i.e., the early 18th Century. Pandolfi's music sounds quite different from what most listeners, familiar with music of the late Baroque, will recognize as a typical baroque violin sonata. For one thing, each sonata is in one continuous movement, during which there are multiple changes of tempo and mood. And the playing seems to me to be considerably more varied than in the typical late baroque violin sonata. Pandolfi's sonatas are clearly not from the alleged "sewing school" of Italian baroque music, according to which view all Italian baroque music sounds the same (in my view, many of Vivaldi's sonatas do indeed sound the same). My personal favorite Pandolfi sonata is probably "La Melana," which, contrary to another reviewer's claim, does have a beautiful lyric melody. I think it quite unfortunate that the Opus 3 & 4 are all we have of Pandolfi's music. I would gladly trade a few dozen Boccherini pieces for one or two more of Pandolfi's lovely violin sonatas. If you like Pandolfi's sonatas, you will probably also like Uccellini's sonatas, many of which have been recorded by Manze on another of his CDs with Harmonia Mundi."
A fascinating and entertaining recording
Steven Guy | Croydon, South Australia | 03/07/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"The works of Pandolfi are performed by Andrew Manze with no little fire and imagination here. As others have pointed out, little is know about Pandolfi, except that he was roughly contemporary with Biber and Schmelzer.
I have been listening to and enjoying this rather strange recording of some rather strange Baroque music for a few years now and I am a little surprised by some of the negative reviews of this recording. I listen to, study, make scores and play the music of Biber and Schmelzer in my spare time - I am a cornettist - and it strikes me that Pandolfi is a similar composer. It is a pity we have only these sonatas as a testament to the composer. Perhaps if we found some ensemble music or a Mass or an opera, we might have a clearer picture of the composer? Perhaps, perhaps not. After all, Corelli left us no vocal music, for instance - only concerti and sonatas.
I enjoy listening to this disc in my car when I'm driving. I can't say why.
Please don't be put off by the rather negative reviews of this recording.
"
Manze polarises opinion
Steve | England | 11/10/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Andrew Manze's performances inspire admiration and loathing in almost equal measure - see for example fellow reviewer Octavius's comments here (one star) and elsewhere "You can't go wrong with McGegan but you will certainly go wrong most of the time buying Manze for anything". In fairness, that is not a lone voice. I will not say that others are not entitled to their views, it is a matter of taste, but for me Manze's playing is highly intelligent (not merely academic), sensitive and deeply rewarding. This is not background music, it is music you are aware of, but on top of the technical execution it still has as much (I would say much more) emotional musicality as other less controversial performances, it very much goes to the heart rather than the head. This is not material in the same league as Tartini (Manze's performance of the "Devils' trill" on "the Devil's sonata" CD is uniquely spine-tingling) but a rewarding disc nonetheless."
