Search - Antonio Vivaldi, Neville Marriner, Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields :: Vivaldi: La Stravaganza

Stravinsky was wrong

Samuli Repo | Helsinki, Finland | 03/07/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"For those listeners who are only familiar with the most popular facet of Vivaldi's output, the ubiquitous Four Seasons, the prospect of wading through this earlier set of twelve violin concertos may not initially sound all that enticing. Unlike their much more familiar cousins (which in fact are a part of another set of concerti, Il cimento dell'Armonia e dell'Invenzione op.8), La Stravaganza does not come equipped with easy-to-grasp programmatic clues as to what the music is `about' - no musical depictions of cuckoos, peasant's dances, midday heatwaves, buzzing flies or walking over iced rivers here. Instead, what you get is two cd's worth of more or less `abstract' Italian baroque concerti, with a typically Vivaldian accent. Does that imply an unimaginative déjà-vu journey over a terrain devoid of real interest, then, with nothing much more to tell these twelve concertos apart from each other than their somewhat dryish RV catalogue numbers? After all, a very accomplished composer also once exclaimed that Vivaldi was but a dull fellow who just composed the same concerto over and over again.The answer, of course, is a resounding no. To a certain extent, the aforementioned opinion of Stravinsky may well be justified - however, following this logic, it would be as correct (and as blatantly wrong) to claim that all Camille Pissarro actually could paint was a single dot. Errare humanum est, even if you should happen to be a Stravinsky. Accusing Vivaldi of dullness just because he happened to compose in a certain personal (admitted, occasionally strictly defined) style sounds every bit as silly as condemning Pissarro's canvases, in a word, pointless.Be as it may, and to the joy of all baroque music lovers, La Stravaganza is literally bursting with gloriously swirling melodies, dazzling solos, melting cantilenas and powerful ritornellos. All this topped with a spotless and inspired delivery from the ASMF and the soloists (Carmel Kaine and Alan Loveday) makes this mid-price Decca set an irresistible bargain. More so, in fact, than the Penguin Rosette-awarded ASMF version of La Cetra under Iona Brown - a decent record in its own right, but one which somehow seems to miss the all-important last ounce of soaring abandon. However, this performance of La Stravaganza not only manages to negotiate the tricky runway leading towards Vivaldian heights of elegance and beauty; it also takes flight, and the following dazzling sense of weightlessness elevates the listener to quite another level.The recording comes from 1975, and while it is not absolutely hiss-free, the analogue-to-digital remaster is very successful, bringing out the glowingly warm string tone in both solo and tutti sections. The continuo (alternating between cembalo and organ, with theorbi included) is not so forwardly situated as in more recent and "authentic" versions, and, in keeping with the ASMF tradition of that era, the overall sound is rather controlled, streamlined and smooth - however, this is not a blemish when the playing is of such high voltage. The occasionally irritating dimension of over-polished surfaces and routine that was later to creep into some ASMF recordings (e.g. the later digital set of the Bach Brandenburg Concertos) is gloriously absent here, as there is a very real sense of `competition' between the solo players and the tutti sections - almost as if both were mischievously trying to outplay each other. With musicians of this calibre, the results can be only successful.As far as non-historical recordings are concerned, Marriner and his team in their heyday achieved heights that still remain out of reach for most ensembles trying their hand in this repertoire. Should you want to add a specimen of vintage ASMF Vivaldi in your collection, well, this is a perfect choice."

Genious

Jose Alberto Vieira | Portugal | 04/07/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"It is to me completely unfair the critic that Vivaldi wrote over and over again the same concert.

One must hear this work to understand how deeply wrong this is.

In La Stravaganza we find a trully inspired Vivaldi. The melody is so rich and vibrant, the melodies are so compelling that is dificult not to listen with pleasure to this masterpiece.

I have listened to this work many times now. In my opinion, this is a much more intense version that the one Rachel Podger plays. Neville Marriner and the Academy of St Martin-In-The-Fields have hier a great performance.

Higly recommended."

A classic on LP and now CD and download

Larry VanDeSande | Mason, Michigan United States | 03/16/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I doubt anyone reading this, regardless of how long or little a classical music listener or collector, would include Englishman Neville Marriner among his or her list of great conductors of any of the modern, romantic, classical or baroque eras. Yet, Marriner gracefully conducted music from all those times in recordings for Decca/London, many of which remain alive and in circulation today. I would make an argument that none of his recordings -- and he has many great ones -- are better than this recording of Antonio Vivaldi's dozen violin concertos collectively known as Op, 4 and La Stravaganza.



I also doubt most people reading this are wondering why I'm writing a review of something 35 years old. If not, they're probably asking why I would be interested in promoting a dozen concertos for the same instrument from a composer whose legend, in some quarters, is that he wrote the same concerto 500 times. The answers to these questions begin in the first paragraph: this is a classic recording of music of endless fascination and creativity, lovingly played, and freshly transferred to CD from high quality analog originals.



Recorded in 1973-74 in London and released on a set of LPs the next year (that I owned back in the day,) La Stravaganza is Vivladi's attempt at harmonic invention and extremely involved solo passagework that is mastered throughout the recording by Marriner's partners, Academy of St. Martin in the Fields chamber orchestra and soloists Alan Loveday and Carmel Kaine. Right from the brillinat outburst of the famous first concerto in B flat major, their collaboration is beautiful, virtuosic, sensitive and warmly played in the best pre-period vintage style. Organist-continuo player Christopher Hogwood, who has gone on to a magnificent career as a period conductor, tells you succinctly in the notes about Vivaldi's "extravagance."



The sound of this package, which was good in the LP era, has been transferred appropriately. It may not satisfy an audiophile but that person wouldn't buy a recording made in 1973. If you are a person that enjoys Vivaldi but often doesn't see the difference in his works outside the Four Seasons, check out this offering. These concertos are consistently lively and full of invention that sets them apart from each other. For the small required financial output, this will reward even the most jaded Vivaldi listener many times over."