La Primavera
... that is what the Baroque springs sounds like
Like a phoenix rising from its ashes, the music of the Italian Baroque has a lot of power and potential. After 250 years of oblivion, it has found its way back into the concert halls. While Johann Sebastian Bach concentrated on oratorios and cantatas, his Venetian counterpart Antonio Vivaldi had other interests. The virtuoso on the violin and music teacher at an orphanage for girls (Pietà) collected the varied sounds of a cosmopolitan city in his compositions for several instruments and in his 50 operas until he died in 1741 in Vienna. The variety of sounds can be seen in „Spring“ and „Summer“ - parts of his set of four violin concertos, a pleasure to play for each Baroque violinist- and in his concert for recorder.
What do those breathtaking accelerandos tell us? Is it that the composer suffered from asthma? No - the high notes shine like the sunlight reflected on the Venetian Laguna. Contrary to Vivaldi’s hectic and virtuoso style, his colleague Giuseppe Sammartini opted for a bright and elegiac tone in his concert for soprano recorder in F major. The oboist decided to leave Milan for London and from 1728 onwards he formed part of Georg Friedrich Händel’s famous opera group (Opernkapelle). Alessandro Scarlatti had died three years before and although he is known as the father of the Italian instrumental music and wrote such marvellous symphonies as the symphony in C major for treble recorder, was forgotten in the fast-moving Naples. The joys of the Italian Baroque, however, can be felt in his music and nearly forgotten timbres can be revived. It is just as if a phoenix could perform music...
Dirk Schümer
10 or 12 performers
Recorder, solo violin, 2 first violins, 2 second violins, viola, violoncello, violone, cembalo (theorbo or Baroque guitar if desired)
PROGRAMM
Alessandro Scarlatti (1660-1725)
Sinfonia C-Dur No.11, recorder, string instruments, B.C.
Spirituoso - Lento - Allegro - Adagio - Allegro
Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741)
Le Quattro Stagioni - La Primavera, Concerto op.8 No.1
Allegro - Largo e pianissimo sempre - Danza pastorale, Allegro
Antonio Vivaldi
Concerto op.10 No.5, recorder, violin, string instruments, B.C.
Allegro man non tanto - Largo e cantabile - Allegro
Antonio Vivaldi
Le Quattro Stagioni - L´estate, Concerto op.8 No.2
Allegro non molto - Adagio, Presto - Presto, tempo impeuttoso déstate
Giuseppe Sammartini (1693-1750)
Concerto für recorder, string instruments, B.C.
Allegro - Siciliano - Allegro assai
