In 1973 Peter Ryom published his catalogue of the oeuvre of Antonio Vivaldi. Catalogues of musical compositions can be set up in different ways: according to scoring, or chronologically, to mention just two options. Ryom chose the former option: he started with sonatas for one instrument and basso continuo, followed by trio sonatas and 'other sonatas', among them what are often called concerti da camera. Then come the concertos and sinfonias for strings, solo concertos and concertos for two and more instruments. The result was a very logical catalogue, where one can easily find what one is looking for.
However, if one looks at more recent recordings of music by Vivaldi, one will find numbers which seem out of place. Some sonatas bear numbers in the 800s. The reason is that since Ryom published his catalogue, quite a number of hitherto unknown pieces by Vivaldi have been found, or pieces that were known, could be identified as authentic works from his pen. It is thanks to the fascination for his oeuvre that researchers and performers don't stop looking for something that we may not know yet.
In 2019 I reviewed a disc by the recorder player Inês d'Avena and the harpsichordist Claudio Ribeiro which included an unknown recorder sonata which they believed to be a composition by Vivaldi. They are examples of artists who are not satisfied with the repertoire that is available to them and try to find unknown stuff. Javier Lupiáñez is another one. Some years ago this violinist and his ensemble Scaramuccia surprised the music world with a recording of anonymous sonatas which he believed to be written by Johann Georg Pisendel. That discovery was most welcome, as Pisendel, although a brilliant violinist, has left little of his own pen.
From Pisendel to Vivaldi is a small step. The German was a great lover of Italian music, and particularly admired Vivaldi. Would he have been able to play the sonata that Lupiáñez recently discovered in a volume of sonatas by various authors, which in one way or another are connected to Bologna? It seems that the set of sonatas was known. The liner-notes don't say that it was found in some obscure archive. It is an example of a collection which was probably overlooked because it is just one of so many collections of violin sonatas by Italian composers, even though some of the composers are of high stature, such as Giuseppe Torelli, Giacomo Perti and Giuseppe Maria Jacchini. One thing is remarkable in this collection: most sets of sonatas or concertos comprised six or twelve pieces. This collection included a thirteenth sonata, and exactly that is the one which attracted Lupiáñez's attention. "It was completely different from the other pieces, with some extremely virtuosic passages, cadenze above long pedal notes and double stopping, and it was written in a language that I was tremendously familiar with." He decided to consult his colleague and Vivaldi specialist, Fabrizio Ammetto, who shared his assumption, and together they wrote an article which they submitted to the scientific committee of the Istituto Italiano Antonio Vivaldi. "The verdict was unanimous: this was a hitherto unknown work by Antonio Lucio Vivaldi."
The third chapter of the liner-notes in the booklet which accompanies the recording of this sonata bears the title "Vivaldi's visiting card". This gives some indication as to what Lupiáñez thinks of this sonata. Vivaldi composed music for a variety of people he knew, among them the girls of the Ospedale della Pietà, especially violin concertos. Sonatas for violin and basso continuo were often written to be used by the composer himself, and that seems also to be the case here. The opening of the sonata, which is in three movements, has an improvisatory character, with arpeggios over a pedal note. "I would not be at all surprised if Vivaldi were to improvise variations and extend the arpeggio passage as he often does in cadenze in his concertos, just as we have done in our performance by adding a cadenza of chords." Lupiáñez then describes various features of this sonata which confirm that this is a piece by Vivaldi. The second movement is relatively simple, and invites the player to add ornaments. The sonata ends with another pedal note and a virtuosic cadenza with double stopping.
Vivaldi offered Pisendel some of his sonatas. Would the German have been able to play this particular sonata? Given what we know of his skills, the answer is probably: yes. But there are good reasons to believe that in this sonata we can hear Vivaldi playing his own sonata for himself, or in a recital where he wanted to show what he was made of. Whether one calls it a 'visiting card' or something to show off (which in Vivaldi's case may have been the same), this is a great discovery, which may bring us as close to Vivaldi the virtuoso as is possible.
The performance by Javier Lupiáñez and his ensemble is excellent, as one may expect on the basis of previous recordings. The discovery of this piece is exciting as is the piece itself and the way it is performed. This sonata may well appear on a disc with other music some time, but lovers of Vivaldi's music should not wait and add this single recording to their collection.
Vivaldi: "Violin Sonata RV 829"
Scaramuccia/Javier Lupiáñez, violin
Snakewood Editions SDIG202401 (© 2024) details
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