Principal Guest Director Rachel Podger returns to Toronto to join Tafelmusik for a series of concerts that will take them from Toronto to Kingston. Concerti Virtuosi: Vivaldi & Telemann will showcase the performing prowess of Podger and a series of soloists from the orchestra.
Along with Podger on the violin, the works by Baroque composers will spotlight the cello, recorder, oboe, and bassoon.
“Rachel’s thrilling virtuosity has inspired us deeply this season,” says Cristina Zacharias, Tafelmusik’s Artistic Co-Director in a statement. “Concerti Virtuosi is a chance for the whole orchestra to step into the limelight and shine. This program highlights Tafelmusik’s unique flair and personality.”
The Music
The Baroque period has left us with a treasure trove of concerti for various instruments.
Corelli Concerto grosso in D Major, op. 6, no.1
Corelli’s Op. 6 is a set of 12 concerti believed to have been composed as early as the 1680s, but not published until 1714. The works, among the earliest examples of the concerto grosso, was enormously influential, and inspired a number of other composers, among them Handel, who wrote his own Opus 6 as a 12-concerti collection.
Vivaldi Concerto for bassoon in G Major, RV 493
Vivaldi’s RV 493 is considered to be the very first solo concerto written for the bassoon, and it’s a work that is technically demanding, and showcases the instrument’s capabilities. While he left no specific note to the effect, it’s not hard to conclude that the composer was fond of the bassoon in particular; he wrote a total of 39 solo concerti for the instrument, representing the largest collection of works for the bassoon of that period.
Telemann Concerto for 3 violins in F Major, from Musique de table
Telemann wrote two volumes of Musique de table, or music designed to be performed as entertainment for guests at a banquet. (Musique de table, of course, translates into German as Tafelmusik.) The volumes were sold by subscription, and Telemann’s subscriber list includes European nobility along with musicians and other composers. The Concerto for 3 violins comes from the second volume, and spreads the challenging passages among the trio of soloists. In the final movement (Allegro), he brings the ensemble together for a joyous finish.
Vivaldi Concerto da camera in F Major, RV 100
Vivaldi’s RV 100 was written for a small ensemble without a string orchestra, and features a flute, oboe, violin, and bassoon with continuo. The composer wrote a series of 21 chamber concerti for small groups of instruments in a mode that foreshadows the Classical era. Throughout, he contrasts virtuosic solo passages with the ensemble together. Vivaldi was thought to have been inspired by Corelli’s sonatas in composing the work.
Vivaldi Concerto for 2 cellos in G minor, RV 531
Vivaldi’s RV 531 is his only concerto for two cellos. The two soloists open the piece by playing alone without accompaniment, an unusual element for the period. It is believed he wrote it in the 1720s, at the height of his career. Using the cello as a solo instrument was a recent innovation, and both instruments are treated as equals in the composition. It’s a highly emotional work that ranges from sadness to an energetic finale.
Brescianello Concerto grosso
Giuseppe Antonio Brescianello was born in 1690, but not much is known about him until he appeared in Munich in 1715 to take up the position of viola player for the Elector of Bavaria. He spent his career in Germany, and became a Kapellmeister.
The Concerts
The concerts take place in Toronto and Kingston:
- May 2, 3, & 4 at Toronto’s Jeanne Lamon Hall
- May 6 at the Isabel Bader Centre in Kingston
Find more details and tickets [HERE].
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