Giovanni Battista Pergolesi
6 Concertini per archi e clavicembalo
Recorded in October 2001
Warner Fonit 0927 43398-2
I Solisti Veneti
Directed by Claudio Scimone
TPT 57'30"
With the `early music movement' now well over 30 years old we have a
situation whereby the once inevitable seeming demise of the modern
instrument orchestra playing baroque music has been avoided by those
modern instrument orchestras assimilating the performing styles of the
`historically informed' school and, as it were, stealing the period
instrument groups' clothes. This has generally had the result of
producing performances of baroque music that are much more lively and
enjoyable to listen to than the previous stodgy offerings of past
decades. It has also led to the discovery or rediscovery of large
amounts of neglected music, much of it of great value. This has all
occurred in an enlightened atmosphere based on sound musicological
research and careful examination of original source material wherever
possible. The combination of these factors has produced results in
performance that make further consideration of the actual instruments
being employed unnecessary. One only has to consider the outstanding
recordings of Beethoven Symphonies by the modern instrument Chamber
Orchestra of Europe under the (originally) period instrument director
Nikolaus Harnoncourt to see the results of this combination in the
finest flowering.
Regrettably, there are still occasions where the various parts that go
to make up `historically informed' performance do not quite get
presented with the balance required, and this Warner recording of
Concertini possibly by Pergolesi makes an excellent example.
"Possibly" by Pergolesi because the state of Pergolesi research is not
yet advanced enough, and the sources so confused, as to make any
concrete attribution possible. Dozens of works were attributed to
Pergolesi in the decades after his death, with a view to the
marketability of a young, dead, genius. If he had actually composed
all of them he would needed at least twice his 26 years, and then with
never a moment of sleep. In this instance Claudio Scimone is desperate
that these works should be by Pergolesi and goes to great lengths to
underline the scholastic rigour which has led him to this conclusion.
Unfortunately, his desire has got in the way of his rigour leading him
to make unfounded and sweeping statements to dismiss potential other
composers of the works, thereby undermining his own arguments.
Dismissing the possibility of the pieces being by one Van Wassenaer
because Wassenaer claimed they were by him and alleging that
Wassenaer's "hypocritical style is in fact convincing proof that the
`concertini' are not his work" would fail assessment in an
undergraduate essay. An allegedly `hypocritical' style is proof of no
such thing.
Having gone to these extreme, but ultimately unconvincing lengths to
prove provenance of the concertini with what Scimone believes to be
`historical' research he then directs I Solisti Veneti in the most
historically uninformed performances imaginable. The playing is
undoubtedly fine - but the style and interpretation is so far off the
mark accepted these days that these sound for all the world like
interpretations from the 1960s. This reviewer had to go back to the
booklet several times to convince himself that this was not a reissue
of a recording from 30 or 40 years ago, but indeed it is not. These
recordings were made in the Church of San Francesco in Schio on 22, 23
and 24 October 2001. One just wonders why on earth they bothered.
Pergolesi, or any other Italian baroque composer, does not need lush,
vibrato laden performances with four cellos in the band and a four bar
ritardando at the end of every movement.
Such a pity as these works are lovely, if slight, offerings from one
of the most elegant periods of music history, but in these verbose and
stodgy performances filled with faux-musicological zeal they are just
not recommendable.
(c) 2002. Peter Wells
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