Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741)
Concerto I en sol mineur, RV 157
Concerto II en mi mineur, RV 133
Concerto III en do mineur, RV 119
Concerto IV en fa majeur, RV 136
Concerto V en do majeur, RV 114
Concerto VI en sol mineur, RV 154
Concerto VII en la majeur, RV 160
Concerto VIII en ré mineur, RV 127
Concerto IX en si bémol majeur, RV 164
Concerto X en ré majeur, RV 121
Concerto XI en sol majeur, RV 150
Concerto XII en la majeur, RV 159

Ensemble Modo Antiquo
Federico Maria Sardelli, direction

Enregistré en 1998, paru pour la première fois en 1999 puis régulièrement réédité, l’enregistrement des Concertos dits de Paris par Federico Maria Sardelli à la tête de son ensemble Modo Antiquo donne lieu à une énième édition qu’annonce une nouvelle couverture. Pour le reste, rien n’a changé. Rappelons que ces douze concertos ont probablement fait l’objet d’une commande de l’Ambassadeur de France à Venise. Conservés à Paris, ils comportent en réalité uniquement deux concertos originaux écrits dans un style français caractérisé. Les dix autres sont des copies conformes incluant ici ou là quelques modifications extrêmement mineures (quand il y en a !) d’opus antérieurs conservés à Turin. Un exercice dont Vivaldi était coutumier… On appréciera dans cette version désormais seule disponible le soin apporté aux traits d’archet, la variété des attaques, l’énergie et la virtuosité de l’ensemble des instrumentistes qui font preuve d’un placement au cordeau. Une très belle réalisation, bien enregistrée, qui continue de s’imposer pour tout amateur de Vivaldi. (Thierry Jacques Collet)

The German patrician von Uffenbach, during a visit to Venice for the carnival of 1715, at long last managed to meet with Vivaldi and order from him “10 concerti grossi”. Three days later, the composer reappeared with all of the requested music, assuring his patron that it had been expressly composed for him. Vivaldi was unquestionably a very quick composer, but he was also a barefaced and extremely capable promoter of his own talents. The collection of twelve concertos for strings, now preserved in Paris, also has all the earmarks of having been a rapidly and cleverly assembled series of previously composed works, with very little new music added. This same modus operandi would mark the genesis of op. 10 and many other collections by Vivaldi. But Vivaldi is an excellent composer, and like a great actor, he succeeds in taking on the appearance of a character by merely donning a hat or imitating a gesture. Thus he manages to outline with a few brushstrokes all of the force of a French entrée in the opening of Concerto n. 5, or to fall suddenly into the most moving melancholy when his unusual Ciaccona modulates into the minor key. Even the last movement of Concerto n. 2, despite appearances, is a rare example of a menuet en rondeau camouflaged as an Italian allegro. The beginning of Concerto n. 1, although belonging to the older works, must have been chosen by Vivaldi to open the collection because it resembles a chaconne in binary meter. These, then, are the distinctive elements, obvious and yet quite effective, which render the idea of a well recognizable taste or style—the same style which informed the “Domine Fili” from the Gloria RV 589, the aria “Tornar voglio” from Arsilda, and the final chorus of Il Giustino. Federico Maria Sardelli conducts the famous baroque ensemble Modo Antiquo, in this amazing historical recording.