Lucia Swarts
Italian concertos & sonatas
- Type CD
- Label Challenge Classics
- UPC 0608917251623
- Catalog number CC 72516
- Release date 25 April 2011
About the album
At the beginning of the seventeenth century the violin set out on its march of conquest as a solo instrument. Before then the violin was not thought highly of, but the French theorist Martin Mersenne (1588-1648) called it the king of instruments and praised it for its versatility. It lasted almost a half century before the expressive potential of the (violon)cello, the lyrical tenor and sonorous bass of the same family of instruments, was discovered.
Not without justification, the significance of Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741) for the concerto has been compared to that of Haydn for the symphony.
Also under the influence of virtuoso violin music, which was developing fast, composers of the 17th century were inspired to write solo music for this ‘bass violin’, too. In turn, this required ‘adjustments’ to the instrument, which was unsuit-able for virtuoso solo play, we see therefore that violin builders in the second half of the 17th century started experimenting. In almost all cases this concerned a scaling down of the instruments. Their tuning also varied. These variants were known by varying names. In 1665 we find the term of ‘violoncello’ for the first time (with G.C. Arresti).
Of Antonio Vivaldi, the most influential, original and prolific composer of instrumental music for cello of the first half of the 18th century, we know nine cello sonatas. Then came Luigi Boccherini, a cellist but above all a visionary composer. He introduced the thumb position and thereby established a new historical record with b’’ flat as the highest note. Luigi Boccherini (19 February 1743 - 28 May 1805) was already a celebrity during his lifetime. This contemporary of Mozart made his début as a cellist at the age of 13 in his native town of Lucca and soon became a respected virtuoso in local musical circles.
Boccherini was an extraordinarily fertile composer, especially of chamber music. He wrote 32 sonatas for cello. In this CD box we can listen to four of them. Vivaldi wrote some very special pieces, but as far as Lucia Swarts is concerned Boccherini leaves him far behind. That cantilena, that Italian singing style, Boccherini could bring it out with greater prominence than any other composer. In the past the cello functioned as a bass instrument. With Vivaldi it acquired something of a tenor voice, but in the end it was Boccherini who knew how to use it as a perfect alto instrument. According to Lucia Swarts to cellists Boccherini is supremely important.
Also in this CD box are Italian 18th century cello pieces by Platti, Jacchini, Leo and Porpora.
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11Concerto for violoncello and strings in C major Allegro
02:49 -
12Concerto for violoncello and strings in C major Largo
01:49 -
13Concerto for violoncello and strings in C major Presto
02:33 -
14Concerto for violoncello and strings in a minor Largo
03:02 -
15Concerto for violoncello and strings in a minor Allegro
03:04 -
16Concerto for violoncello and strings in a minor Adagio
01:17 -
17Concerto for violoncello and strings in a minor Allegro
03:41 -
18Concerto for two violoncellos and strings in g minor, RV 531 Allegro
03:40 -
19Concerto for two violoncellos and strings in g minor, RV 531 Largo
02:45 -
110Concerto for two violoncellos and strings in g minor, RV 531 Allegro
03:18 -
111Concerto for violoncello and strings in F major op. 4 no. 9 Presto
01:34 -
112Concerto for violoncello and strings in F major op. 4 no. 9 Grave
00:53 -
113Concerto for violoncello and strings in F major op. 4 no. 9 Presto e solo
01:40 -
114Concerto for violoncello and strings in c minor Adagio e staccato ? Allegro
04:45 -
115Concerto for violoncello and strings in c minor [Largo]
04:08 -
116Concerto for violoncello and strings in c minor Presto
04:40 -
117Concerto for violoncello and strings in d minor Andante grazioso
04:32 -
118Concerto for violoncello and strings in d minor Col Spirito
03:20 -
119Concerto for violoncello and strings in d minor Amoroso
03:10 -
120Concerto for violoncello and strings in d minor Allegro
03:40 -
21Sonata in B-flat major, RV 47 Largo
03:57 -
22Sonata in B-flat major, RV 47 Allegro
02:00 -
23Sonata in B-flat major, RV 47 Largo
03:04 -
24Sonata in B-flat major, RV 47 Allegro
02:02 -
25Sonata in B-flat major, RV 45 Largo
03:45 -
26Sonata in B-flat major, RV 45 Allegro
02:44 -
27Sonata in B-flat major, RV 45 Largo
03:49 -
28Sonata in B-flat major, RV 45 Allegro
02:48 -
29Sonata in a minor, RV 43 Largo
02:40 -
210Sonata in a minor, RV 43 Allegro
02:20 -
211Sonata in a minor, RV 43 Largo
02:50 -
212Sonata in a minor, RV 43 Allegro
01:58 -
213Sonata in e minor, RV 40 Largo
03:26 -
214Sonata in e minor, RV 40 Allegro
02:43 -
215Sonata in e minor, RV 40 Largo
02:58 -
216Sonata in e minor, RV 40 Allegro
01:28 -
217Sonata in B-flat major, RV 46 Preludio: Largo
02:09 -
218Sonata in B-flat major, RV 46 Allemanda: Allegro
02:12 -
219Sonata in B-flat major, RV 46 Largo
02:24 -
220Sonata in B-flat major, RV 46 Corrente: Allegro
02:29 -
221Sonata in F major, RV 41 Largo
02:36 -
222Sonata in F major, RV 41 Allegro
02:23 -
223Sonata in F major, RV 41 Largo
03:51 -
224Sonata in F major, RV 41 Allegro
02:34 -
31Sonata no. 3 (G. 5) in G major for violoncello and continuo Allegro alla Militaire
05:17 -
32Sonata no. 3 (G. 5) in G major for violoncello and continuo Largo
03:32 -
33Sonata no. 3 (G. 5) in G major for violoncello and continuo Menuetto
03:50 -
34Sonata no. 1 (G. 13) in A major for violoncello and continuo Allegro moderato
05:00 -
35Sonata no. 1 (G. 13) in A major for violoncello and continuo Largo
03:41 -
36Sonata no. 1 (G. 13) in A major for violoncello and continuo Allegro
03:55 -
37Sonata no. 4 (G. 10) in E flat major for violoncello and continuo Allegro
05:16 -
38Sonata no. 4 (G. 10) in E flat major for violoncello and continuo Adagio
04:33 -
39Sonata no. 4 (G. 10) in E flat major for violoncello and continuo Affetuoso
04:24 -
310Sonata no. 2 (G. 6) in C major for violoncello and continuo Allegro
04:47 -
311Sonata no. 2 (G. 6) in C major for violoncello and continuo Largo
05:52 -
312Sonata no. 2 (G. 6) in C major for violoncello and continuo Allegro moderato
05:14