Vivaldi: Violin concertos for Pisendel

I first encountered Federico Guglielmo through his group’s traversal of Giuseppe Tartini’s violin concertos. That series got better over time. I also collected his collaboration with Vivaldi's L'Estro Armonico, a collaboration with Christopher Hogwood. Sadly I wasn't fond of that release on Chandos. Over time, however, as L’Arte dell’Arco has matured and Guglielmo’s own playing in my eyes has grown increasingly assured, with my perspective shifted.

Encouraged by a friend, I acquired their Vivaldi box set—a well-rounded collection that pulses with a spirited kick and sprightly tempos, all while delivering a robust orchestral sound. Now, a month-old release on the CPO label showcases a more intimate version of L’Arte dell’Arco, again under the skilful direction of Guglielmo. The 51-minute album presents:

•	Concerto in D minor, RV 237
•	Concerto in G major, RV 314
•	Concerto in D major, RV 205
•	Concerto in G minor, RV 328
•	Concerto in A major, RV 340

Each piece carries the legacy of Dresden-based violinist and ardent Vivaldi admirer Johann Georg Pisendel, who—as detailed in the insightful liner notes by scholar Michael Talbot—once copied out Vivaldi’s works as part of his studies with Torelli, and later, arguably, had the honor of studying with Vivaldi himself.

My initial listen always aims to gauge the sonic integrity of a recording. This production, even with its modest forces, presentes a rich ensemble tone. Guglielmo shines as the soloist; his integration within the ensemble renders him neither overly dominant nor lost in the mix. The interplay between solo passages and full ensemble moments is generously dynamic. A resonant bass—be it from a bowed instrument or the theorbo—adds a pleasing reverberation, enhancing the acoustical texture with a warm, lingering reverb.

These concertos, often linked to Pisendel, tend to be among Vivaldi’s more daring offerings, and this album is no exception. Its exploration was a delight, especially as it has been some time since I’ve encountered a Vivaldi concertos recording beyond the well-trodden Four Seasons.

One of the things I like about this performance is that Guglielmo is willing to improvise during the slow movements. I pulled out several scores to look at Vivaldi’s basic lines; in one case, the slow movement is written in binary form, with repeats, and he changed the line significantly during the first repeat. I can’t tell you how refreshing this is!

Two of the concertos feature brief cadenzas. In RV 205, the cadenza is succinct and clearly modeled on Vivaldi’s own stylistic nuances—a well-executed, well-conceived moment. Conversely, in RV 340, Vivaldi’s written cadenza for the final movement sees Guglielmo deliberately slowing the tempo. Although I questioned this deceleration, slowing things down may have been necessary to nail the high notes' intonation. This showcases my suspicion that Vivaldi utilized the higher register of the violin of his time as a virtuosic tool to delight his audiences.

While this production is strong overall, an extra concerto would have pushed the total duration beyond an hour. There are a few instances—most notably in the opening movement of RV 237—where the soloist sounds a touch scrappy in the higher register, suggesting that this particular concerto presented its own unique challenges.

There were some of these concertos with which I was familiar, but all together, it’s a great collection. While there are certainly other options out there, this rendition comes from an ensemble that’s dedicated itself to Italian baroque repertoire and knows its way around.