Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741)
Sonates en trio, op. 1
Sonates en trio, op. 2
L’estro armonico, 12 concertos, op.3
La stravaganza, 12 concertos pour violon, op. 4
Sonates et trios pour violon, op. 5
Concertos pour violon, op. 6
Concertos, op. 7
Il cimento dell’armonia e dell’inventione, 12 concertos, op.8
Les Quatre Saisons
La cetra, Concertos pour violon, op. 9
Concertos pour flûte, op. 10
Concertos, op. 11
Coincertos, op. 12
Sonates pour violoncelle

L'Arte dell'Arco
Federico Guglielmo, violon, direction

On peut à nouveau remercier le label Brilliant Classics pour cette belle démarche que de réunir pour la première fois l'intégralité des opus 1 à 12 d'Antonio Vivaldi. Largement considéré comme l'un des plus importants compositeur de la période baroque et reconnu par ses contemporains comme l'un des plus grands virtuoses du violon, il est l'auteur d'une oeuvre considérable. Publiées de son vivant, les partitions enregistrées ici comptent parmi ses plus remarquables et ses plus populaires à l'image des "Quatre Saisons" ou de "L'Estro Armonico" devenues au fil du temps des incontournables du répetoire classique. A travers les 20 disques qui composent ce coffret l'ensemble italien spécialiste des musiques anciennes "L'Arte dell'Arco", dirigé par le violoniste Federico Guglielmo également soliste ici, rend un vibrant hommage au maître vénitien. Leur compréhension du langage musical du compositeur est saisissante de maîtrise : textures instrumentales riches et généreuses et lignes expressives du violon solo. Placés sous la supervisation de la fondation Giorgio Cini de Venise, ces nouveaux enregistrements, servis par une interprétation rafraichissante et enlevée, sont indispensables à tout mélomane amoureux de Vivaldi.

Federico Guglielmo and his ensemble L’Arte dell’Arco have already made a number of acclaimed recordings of Vivaldi’s music for Brilliant Classics. This boxset brings together CDs previously published along with never-beforeheard recordings, spanning Vivaldi’s Concertos and Sonatas Opp. 1–12 plus a bonus CD of Cello Sonatas. The comprehensive collection showcases the perennial music of ‘Il prete rosso’, with Italian musicians playing on authentic instruments, giving the closest version possible to the sounds that would have resonated in Venice 300 years ago. Guglielmo shines at the helm of his closely- knit ensemble; from the Trio Sonatas Op.1, which showed Vivaldi’s prowess at writing within an already well-established genre, through to his Violin Sonatas Op.2, with their elaborate asides for the ensemble as well as the solo instrument. ‘L’estro armonico’ (‘Harmonic inspiration’), a collection of 12 concertos, brought Vivaldi European-wide fame for the first time, which he soon built on through his next publication ‘Il cimento dell’armonia e dell’inventione’ (‘The contest between harmony and invention’). Arguably the composer’s most famous collection, ‘Il cimento’ includes the delightful Four Seasons, as well as more concertos with evocative titles, such as ‘La caccia’ (‘The hunt’) and ‘La tempesta di mare’ (‘The sea storm’). The ensemble varies depending on the piece, with some concertos styled with a small group of soloists accompanied by a ripieno, and others allowing one soloist to take a prominent role. This release is proud to feature some of Guglielmo’s long-time collaborators, including Mario Folena on the flute, Pier Luigi Fabretti on the oboe and Francesco Galligioni on the cello, all experienced performers with a sound that blends perfectly with L’Arte dell’Arco. The ensemble itself also differs from piece to piece, with Guglielmo carefully selecting the number of performers and instrumentation for each individual work, thereby creating the most authentic performance possible. Guglielmo and his players bring a fresh interpretation to these beloved concertos as well as providing the listener with an opportunity to delve into Vivaldi’s lesser-known earlier works. With just one player per part, L’Arte dell’Arco strip back the layers, bringing a revitalising transparency to Vivaldi’s complex writing. The release includes world premieres of performances based on new critical editions of Vivaldi’s music authorised by the Istituto Italiano Antonio Vivaldi, based at the Fondazione Giorgio Cini in Venice.