Pavlo Beznosiuk, The Academy of Ancient Music - Vivaldi - 6 Violin Concertos op. 12 (1997)

Vivaldi’s last two printed collections of concertos, Opp. 11 and 12 were issued in 1729. Each set contained six works rather than the customary 12 and each, to some extent, is representative of Vivaldi’s mature concerto style. If Op. 11 contains, in the concerto Il favorito (RV277), one of the finest works of its kind that Vivaldi ever wrote, Op. 12 can boast the composer’s only published concerto for orchestral strings without solo violin; for though he wrote some 40 such pieces all but this one remained unpublished until the present century. The present Concerto in D major (RV124), the third in the set, is an impressive example of how imaginative Vivaldi was in writing concerti ripieni, further offering evidence, in its fugal Allegro finale, of his too often overlooked skill in counterpoint. The remaining concertos are for solo violin and strings and to my ears are variable in their appeal. The First and Second Concertos are of a somewhat stern, unbending aspect though Pavlo Beznosiuk’s lissom violin playing and his lightly bowed grace-notes in the first movement of the Concerto No. 1 in G minor lend more charm to the music than any other performance I have heard. Beznosiuk and the Academy of Ancient Music, under Christopher Hogwood’s sensitive and thoughtful direction, fully explore the sonority of Vivaldi’s string textures which can be on occasion – as in the Largo of the same concerto – very rewarding. But it is, above all, Beznosiuk’s stylish, vital and incisive playing that brings a sparkle to music which can otherwise sound arid and uninspired. In this he is strongly supported by the crisp attack of the Academy strings, and the effectively varied colours of a stylish continuo group which includes organ, harpsichord and archlute.
The concluding three concertos of the opus are of a more immediately benign disposition. The opening gestures of the Concerto No. 4 in C major might almost belong to the overture to a comic intermezzo, but there is a carefree and airy spirit running throughout the movement. The Fifth Concerto, in B flat, is a robust, vivacious work, plentifully endowed with distinctive hallmarks of the composer’s style. The solo violin writing is full of caprice to which Beznosiuk responds with vigour and virtuosity. The Sixth Concerto, also in B flat, is spirited in character, and in the bold theatrical gestures of the finale, hardly less interesting than its predecessor. This playing, solo and ripieno, enlivens the music at every turn, charming our senses with its recognition of Vivaldi’s great poetic gift. A rewarding issue of a neglected opus.