J**S
Intimations of genius
As absorbing a CD as I've heard, showcasing twelve concertos at the very fringes of the Vivaldi canon. Its offering of early works makes it a perfect complement to the series of late Vivaldi concertos from Giuliano Carmignola in the 2000s. Those provided eloquent testimony to the idea that the composer's late, 'Neapolitanised' and elaborated style saw him moving in new and less formulaic directions. Ironically, these early concertos are often equally unformulaic, for the simple reason that Vivaldi hadn't yet consolidated the three movement (quick-slow-quick) formula. They are called 'concerti grossi' on the CD package, a term that reflects their multi-movement or 'early' nature.Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of these concertos concerns their authenticity. Almost all of the works presented here are either current or ex-members of Ryom's Anhang (supplementary) catalogue, to which pieces of uncertain attribution are consigned. Most listeners reasonably familiar with Vivaldi's work will probably agree that the musical language these concertos speak is fluently and convincingly Vivaldian. Some movements share similar material with works of guaranteed authenticity. But we may need to wait until someone with the wisdom and authority of MichaelTalbot or Federico Maria Sardelli makes a definitive judgement. Meanwhile, another Vivaldian scholar of note, Oliver Fourès, has reached his own verdict: that all bar one of these works is indeed by Vivaldi (the exception being RV Ahn 106, formerly RV274) and it's hard to disagree with him.Regardless of authorship, these works are immediately engaging, being full of invention, energy and exuberance - qualities which might instantly suggest the paternity of the Red Priest, in other words. They are played with elan, assurance and obvious relish by soloist Florian Deuter. The kaleidoscopic 'accompaniment' by Harmonie Universelle, meanwhile, is itself irresistably attractive. RV220's slow movement, with its deliciously foregrounded (?)harp, has a hypnotic beauty as captivating as any Vivaldian Largo. A wide-ranging palette and a precocious feel for intrumentation and experimentation make these early essays in concerto form so much more than display pieces for violinistic exhibitionism, while marking their composer out as someone destined for the greatness of L'estro armonico and beyond.So, while perhaps still of slightly dubious provenance (although future revelations will surely enable musicologists to assert Vivaldi's authorship with greater confidence), we have to ask ourselves why these works have remained obscure for so long. If JS Bach could find two of the concertos interesting enough to convert into harpsichord exercises (RV Ahn 10 and RV381 became BWV979 and 980 respectively), perhaps we ought to expect music publishers to take the plunge more readily, without waiting for a big name label, like Vivaldi, to validate works of such obvious quality. The hope is that, in future, music publishers might need nothing more than the courage of their own convictions. Anyway, we should thank Harmonie Universelle and the Eloquentia label for bringing these virtually unknown works to our attention.
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