Sunday Classics preview: Here's a Vivaldi concerto you're very likely to recognize

Yes, I know this is supposed to be a Vivaldi preview, but since below I describe Angel Romero (born 1946) as having "one of the most distinctively personal touches of any guitarist I know," I thought it might be fun to sample him in his native repertory. Here, at Boston Guitarfest 2009, he introduces and plays the "Fantasia" from the Andalusian Suite by his father, Celedonio Romero (1913-1996).

by Ken

Over the years I expect I've heard several hundred concertos by Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741), the Italian Baroque master who was a rough contemporary of the exact contemporaries Bach (1685-1750) and Handel (1685-1759), both of whom were well-acquainted with his work. I usually enjoy all those Vivaldi concertos, but I can't say there are a lot of them -- besides the obvious four -- which I return to regularly with delight.

For tonight's Vivaldi preview, we're hearing one Vivaldi concerto that does fit that bill, especially for its beautiful central Largo, which has made its way into the arsenal of the TV-radio commercial producers. We're going to start out with two performances of that Largo which I think you'll agree are pretty darned different.

The concerto was actually written for the lute, and we're going to hear it that way, in a period-instrument performance with lowered (A=415) pitch. But there are a lot more guitarists than lutenists out there, and guitarists know that they can appropriate anything written for lute, and first we're going to hear this Largo played on the guitar -- and not just that, but in an older-style, way more leisurely performance. Myself, I think the performance by Narciso Yepes (1927-1996) captures a whole expressive dimension that the more "authentic" performance doesn't.

VIVALDI: Concerto in D for Lute, and Strings, RV 93:
ii. Largo

Narciso Yepes, guitar; Paul Kuentz Chamber Orchestra, Paul Kuentz, cond. DG, recorded c1971
Paul O'Dette, soprano lute; The Parley of Instruments (Roy Goodman and Theresa Caudle, violins; Judy Tarling, viola; Mark Caudle, cello; Amanda MacNamara, bass; Peter Holman, chamber organ), Roy Goodman and Peter Holman, dir. Hyperion, recorded Dec. 1-2, 1984

Vivaldi concertos aren't exactly drawn-out affairs. The performance we're about to hear of the complete D major Lute Concerto, even with a 4½-minute-plus Largo, clocks in under 10 minutes. (Actually, the outer movements are a little driven for my taste.) The performance is by a distinguished representative of the legendary guitar-playing Romero family. Angel Romero has one of the most distinctive personal touches of any guitarist I know.

VIVALDI: Concerto in D for Lute, Strings, and Continuo, RV 93

i. Allegro
ii. Largo
iii. Allegro

Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, Angel Romero, guitar and cond. BMG, recorded July 3-6, 1995


A BONUS VIVALDI CONCERTO: THE NIGHT

Vivaldi wrote concertos for just about every instrument you can imagine, and I thought we'd hear one that has the unusual feature of a slow first movement preceding the usual sequence of fast-slow-fast movements -- anticipating the fondness many of the great Classical- and Romantic-era composers would have for prefacing symphonic first movements in particular with a slow introduction.

VIVALDI: Concerto in G minor for Flute, Bassoon, and Strings, RV 104 (La Notte) (The Night)

i. Largo
ii. Presto, "Fantasmi" ("Phantoms")
iii. Largo, "Il Sonno" ("The Sun")
iv. Allegro

Julius Baker, flute; Karl Hoffmann, bassoon, Herbert Tachezi, harpsichord; I Solisti di Zagreb, Antonio Janigro, cond. Vanguard Bach Guild, recorded June 1964


IN TOMORROW NIGHT'S PREVIEW:
IT'S VIVALDI DOUBLE CONCERTO NIGHT

The solo instrument Vivaldi featured overwhelmingly most is the violin, frequently including more than one. Tomorrow night we're going to hear a couple of specimens of Vivaldi double concertos.

Then Sunday it's on to The Four Seasons.

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