Karl Ditters von Dittersdorf (1739-1799)
Six Trios à cordes pour 2 violons et violone

Jan Krtitel Vanhal (1739-1813)
Divertimento en sol majeur pour violon, alto et violone

Johann Michael Haydn (1737-1806)
Divertimento en do majeur pour violon, alto et violone

Musica Elegentia

Gian Andrea Guerra, violon I
Mauro Righini, violon II, alto
Matteo Cicchitti, violone, direction

Amusante et intéressante, la notice explique que vers 1780 « Divertimento » était une appellation fourre-tout pour la musique « pas trop élaborée » destinée à meubler le silence des palais (une sorte de musique d’ascenseur, donc ?) ou à permettre à des instrumentistes bourgeois de socialiser… L’op. 1 de Carl Ditters pas encore « von Dittersdorf » (le copiste de la partition le désigne comme « Ditters Tedesco », l’Allemand) est tout à fait conforme à cette définition espiègle. La naïveté et les maladresses de composition font même douter plus d’une fois de la justesse de ce qu’on entend. Mais voici le second disque : les œuvres de Vanhal (si je ne m’abuse son Divertimento en Sol n’a été retrouvé que vers 1980) et surtout Michael Haydn sont d’une autre trempe et le second violon y est remplacé par un alto : là où ceux de Dittersdorf évoquaient des duos accompagnés, on a maintenant la sensation auditive de « vrais » trios. Mais là encore, l’impression est souvent dérangeante. Parce que je ne peux imaginer que de tels interprètes aient soudain des soucis d’intonation, je ne trouve qu’une seule explication : nous sommes tellement habitués à rechercher à la basse les fondements de l’harmonie qu’on est déstabilisé par le son incroyable, parfois proche d’un bruit, de la double basse de viole jouée par Matteo Cicchitti. A entendre donc pour assouvir sa curiosité et pour tester son oreille, mais attention : redoutable exercice d’écoute ! (Olivier Eterradossi)

Stylish, historically informed performances of 18th-century chamber music for violin, viola and double-bass. All three composers gathered together on this unique compilation were active in Vienna in the last half of the 18th century, and all had mastered the craft of writing music for pleasure – as much in the playing as the listening – rather than devotion or edification. They were also expert string players – Dittersdorf and Vanhal formed the other two members of a famous ‘composers’ quartet’ that included Joseph Haydn (younger brother to Michael) and Mozart – and so wrote these divertimentos from the inside, as it were. The Divertimenti included in the CD were composed in the 1760s. They are all fairly brief, multi-movement pieces, easy on the ear and of fairly simple construction, with the first violin taking the lion’s share of the melody. However, a little closer listening will reveal many small refinements in the secondary parts (viola e violone), which not only support the main part, but interact with it in lively musical conversation: an inter-instrumental dialogue which is particularly emphasised in this recording. Michael Haydn’s C major Divertimento P.110 has the most conventional, four-movement structure, whereas Vanhal’s symmetrical design encloses a lovely Adagio within a pair of minuets, a free-flowing first movement and a syncopated finale bristling with energy and high spirits. The six trios by Dittersdorf are all two-movement pieces, pairing a quick introduction with a gentler minuet. The common but unusual element to the scoring of all the music on this album is the absence of cello in the basso continuo role, which is written down the octave to be played by a violone or double bass. This often creates a gruff or humorous character – especially in Michael Haydn’s Divertimento – but Vanhal in particular requires a musician of agility to zip up and down the instrument and writes for it as a deeper cello. Founded by Matteo Ciccetti in 2012, Musica Elegentia is an Italian early-music group specialising in Baroque and early-Classical repertoire, with residences and appearances at many distinguished Italian festivals to its credit. This brand new recording presents Divertimenti by Viennese composers: Karl Ditters von Dittersdorf, Johann Michael Haydn and Jan Kritel Vanhal. They are for 2 violins (or violin and viola) and violone, a bass member of the string family. The music indeed is pleasing, entertaining, brilliant, reminiscent of high class conversation.