Viotti - Violin Concerto no.22; Cherubini - Symphony in D major
£9.45
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Label: Brilliant Classics
Cat No: 96599
Format: CD
Number of Discs: 1
Genre: Orchestral
Release Date: 2nd February 2024
Contents
Artists
Massimo Quarta (violin)Nuova Orchestra Ferruccio Busoni
Conductor
Massimo BelliWorks
Symphony in D majorViolin Concerto no.22 in A minor, G97
Artists
Massimo Quarta (violin)Nuova Orchestra Ferruccio Busoni
Conductor
Massimo BelliAbout
Compositionally he serves as a bridge between the Classical period and the first signs of Romanticism, and he wrote an impressive 29 concertos for his own instrument, the violin. The 22nd, in A minor, shows his renowned compositional intelligence at its peak. Brahms, by no means known for the generosity of his opinions, wrote in a letter to Clara Schumann: “This concerto… is a magnificent piece, of remarkable freedom in its invention; it sounds as if [Viotti] were fantasising, and everything is masterfully conceived and executed”.
The work is divided into three movements: the first of these, an Allegro moderato, abandons the tradition of an energetic and virtuosic opening, and instead introduces a meditative, highly refined atmosphere. The cantabile violin theme soon evolves into a flourish that pre-empts the subsequent bright and complex dramatic beauty of the cadenza. Only the third movement, Agitato assai, is Classical in its inspiration, featuring a nimble dialogue between soloist and orchestra, albeit with strong contrapuntal hints, while the vibrant central Adagio’s echoes of Mozart are pulled in the direction of pre-Romantic angst.
Luigi Maria Cherubini, perhaps best known today for his monumental Requiem, like Viotti suffered the consequences of being culturally close to an overthrown ancien règime, in his case that of Napoleon. The arrival of King Louis XVIII gave him respite, and indeed he became one of France’s greatest musicians, despite his Italian origins. His Symphony in D major’s four movements convey that “dual compositional nationality” right from the initial Moderato, straying at times into pomposity but with plenty of moments of progressive expressive intimacy. Cherubini was admired by Haydn, and even by the moody Beethoven, who appreciated the “dramaticism” of his work.
The coupling on this album reflects a real-life acquaintance: Cherubini directed a theatre in Paris with Viotti for a period. The two were also both initiated into French masonic orders, joining the ranks of many other freemason musicians from Haydn and Mozart to Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong. Both men were significant figures in the history of music, producing a wealth of content and materials yet to be fully explored.
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