Vivaldi: Concerti per violin XI ‘Per Anna Maria’
Fabio Biondi (violin); Europa Galante
Naïve OP7368 59:21 mins
This is the 11th volume of Naïve’s ‘Vivaldi Edition’ devoted to the Red Priest’s violin concertos. It is perhaps the most revealing, as it showcases six concertos written for his star student and favourite soloist, Anna Maria.
Little is known about Anna Maria, although she was a pupil of Vivaldi’s at the Ospedale della Pietà orphanage in Venice from an early age and later gained fame as an instrumental player, not only of the violin, but also of the viola d’amore, theorbo, lute, harpsichord and mandolin. Vivaldi wrote at least 24 violin concertos for her. Just two (including RV 207, recorded on this album) were published during his lifetime. Those that were not intended for public performance are noticeably more experimental and technically demanding.
The six recorded concertos range from the swagger of RV 229 and the programmatic scene painting of ‘The Posthorn’, RV 363, to the lyricism of RV 260 and the cheerful simplicity of RV 261. The most emblematic is RV 179a, which appears in a Venetian manuscript bearing Anna Maria’s name. The Largo from a related concerto – RV 581 – is added as a heartfelt salutation at the end of the recording. Fabio Biondi effortlessly surmounts the technical difficulties and stylistic challenges of each concerto. He also directs Europa Galante with characteristic vigour and aplomb. The recording is close and intimate – a little too intimate at times, with Biondi’s sniffing a touch intrusive in RV 207. John-Pierre Joyce