Reviewer: David Vernier
Although
the Op. 6 concerti grossi get all the attention on disc, Arcangelo Corelli's
Op. 1 and 3 trio sonatas deserve equal respect. And if you're looking for an
ensemble and recording that deliver respectful, not to mention
reference-quality performances, you'll find them on this excellent new
release from The Avison Ensemble.
The rhythms
are appropriately-necessarily-taut, the tempos suitably bright and
compatible with their particular movements, the bowed-instrument timbres
delightfully tangy and reedy, the plucked strings of the archlute pleasingly
snappy. Sonically, the result is a vibrant, full-bodied quality that really
lets us feel the special harmonic resonances, particularly scintillating in
keys such as F, A, D, and G major (sound clip).
Adhering
primarily to the structural formula Slow-Fast-Slow-Fast, Corelli seems to
possess an unlimited capacity for invention, especially in the way he so
engagingly writes for the two violins, separately but equally in dialogue or
sometimes in uniform rhythm, and joined by the cello either in imitation or
with a line of its own (sound clip). Hearing these sets of sonatas it's easy
to understand why they were so widely popular-"remaining in print throughout
the 18th century"-and were so stylistically influential and freely imitated.
If you're a
violinist, you really want to play them, as they are so perfectly conceived
for that instrument, so irresistibly fun and fanciful, musically and
technically substantive; and for the listener, it's hard to imagine more
agreeable ensemble writing, highlighted by the ever-stimulating
conversational interplay. Beyond the trio of primary players, The Avison
Ensemble keeps the continuo interesting with a combination of archlute,
harpsichord, and organ, and the sound, from a Cambridge church, is
representative of this label's best. There are a few other recordings of
these works, but in all respects, this one just does it better.
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