Concerti per una vita
French violinist Théotime Langlois de Swarte has recorded a double album featuring works by Antonio Vivaldi with Le Consort. This ensemble has been a chamber group in the past, but on this album is expanded to 16 desk violins, three violas, five cellos, and two double basses and two theorbos. Sophie de Bardonnèche (violin), Hanna Salzenstein (cello), and Justin Taylor are included as the usual partners with here the violinist and conductor.
On video, de Swarte has been an affective player, in terms of fire, dynamics, and exploring improvisation as part of his practice. I have found his recordings to be safer in approach, and this album is no different.
He writes in the notes a bit about the approach and flexibility when going from a chamber group to a larger orchestral force:
I’m lucky to have been able to carry out this project with my partners in Le Consort, and to have been able to build with them an orchestral sound deriving from the chamber music aesthetic we created when working on trio sonatas. It was very important for me to invite this ‘musical family’ into the heart of the project. The recording, which began in an intimate setting with the recently discovered Sonata RV 37a, gradually grew bigger in scale until it ended with a full orchestra, as if by a process of addition where each newcomer was grafted onto the collective. The result is an infinite number of textures, which also meant they had to be organised as carefully as possible to strike the right balance between continuo and solo, and between orchestra and solo.
It isn’t possible to enjoy the same freedom here as with Le Consort in chamber formation, since the orchestra demands a certain rigour. Yet the formal framework that’s necessary for the organisation of the musical discourse must not prevent individual personalities from expressing themselves with the greatest freedom, both within the orchestra and in the continuo group, otherwise we lose that eminently Italian character of instantaneous reactivity.
I am very touched that this album completes the recording of all Vivaldi’s instrumental music that has been found to date, after a hundred years of active research. For one of the best-known composers in Western music, it’s astonishing to find that there are still facets of his output that remain to be explored, as this album attempts to do.
One comment I read about this album was that it thankfully wasn’t following the trend of albums of late using smallish forces; in this case, the number of performers represented changes based on the works presented across two CDs. I wish the provided booklet had been more specific about who was playing where, as I didn’t always get the sense that the full ensemble were playing across all concertos, but more on that in detail below. (To be fair, a mention of three different ensemble sizes are mentioned in the notes but without any notation specifically where these apply.) But—pragmatically speaking—it would make sense to record a double set if you were hiring a number of additional musicians to fill out the orchestra.
A collaboration was made with Olivier Fourés, a musicologist who no doubt was instrumental in bringing to de Swarte some of the previously not recorded works on this album. Federico Maria Sardelli is another figure in this space, having already recorded two albums featuring newly discovered works by Vivaldi. One website describes Fourés as a dancer, violinist, and musicologist, and his participation in recordings and concert programs over the past two decades have been numerous.
The Program
The gist of this album seems to be to present a characterization of Vivaldi’s compositional art through concertos—showcasing the wide variety and diverse ideas he explored throughout his life. By including some works not previously recorded, the aim seems to be to provide us a glimpse of the unknown. The program goes further afield, however, and includes some extraneous works, including arias from Giovanni Legrenzi (believed to have been Vivaldi’s teacher), a single movement from a Westhoff solo sonata, and a number of composed arrangements, including a riff from Mouret’s fanfares.
I like this approach as it showcases the role Vivaldi had in the musical world during his lifetime.
Some of the newly recorded material includes:
- Occhi miel si dormire arranged for violin, from Legrenzi
- A Vivaldi concerto Adagio RV 768
- A Vivaldi Ciaconna RV 370
- A so-called original version of the summer concerto, RV 315
- A violin concerto recitativo, RV 212
- Violin Concerto in B minor, RV 37a
- Violin Concerto in E-flat, RV 250
- Violin Concerto in E-flat RV 252
There are a few vocal numbers that are not performed with a singer, but instead with de Swarte imitating the voice on his Stainer violin. I can’t say if this is a period approach, but it does speak to the affective nature of instrumental playing, in imitating the qualities of the voice.
Among the most successful pieces on the album in my opinion are those that use horns. This starts with a listing from RV 539: Fanfara from a concerto for two horns. This segues into a one minute recap of Vivaldi’s Tempesta di mare concerto for strings, in this case borrowed from the La fida ninfa. The “work” they are presenting concludes with another opera steal, from Dorilla in tempe.
Later on the second CD, a second fanfare (with echo effect) serves as an introduction to Vivaldi’s concerto for violin, 2 oboes, 2 horns, and bassoon with strings (RV 569). This is listed incorrectly in the liner notes as simply a violin concerto.
With the horns nearly blasting from either side of the orchestra the sound is generous and festive. Unusual, perhaps, is the inclusion of timpani. While the parts may not exist, that’s the benefit of historical practice, knowing that such as concerto was probably written for a festive occasion and that drums might very well come along with the addition of horns or trumpets. Having heard this concerto before, having a version with the timpani was a nice change.
The Sound
This is not the first recording I’ve heard recorded at the theater in Poitiers (France). For the largest piece on the record, the concerto RV 569, the acoustical energy has adequate reverb and the engineers were able to keep the solo parts in good focus.
The oddest piece on this recording is perhaps Vivaldi’s Concerto in D minor, RV 813, presented in six movements. The entire work only takes 8.5 minutes, but the format seems based on the design for a sonata rather than a concerto. The orchestral forces excite the corners of the hall but the violin itself seems isolated at times from the ensemble. This set up works really well for a recording, where we may just want to have a “front row” spot, hearing the top talent up-close, and that’s what we get. The effect would be very different if we were in situ, in the back of the ensemble, but I applaud the producers and Harmonia Mundi for choosing to use an auditorium over a church; the decay time is far shorter and the hall’s acoustics enhance the ensemble’s sound.
The Andante from the concerto RV 813, alongside other tracks, including the Westhoff solo sonata, have de Swarte retreating into his sound, playing softly and sometimes projecting himself below the forces of the accompaniment. It’s a feature of this recording that seems deliberate and is not oft done. Despite the huge volume difference when Swarte does this, the level of detail that’s maintained is to be commended.
The Music
Two most familiar works on this recording are the aforementioned Summer concerto and RV 356, the sixth concerto from Vivaldi’s op. 3: L’estro Armonico. There’s a lot of pep in the group’s performance of the op. 3 concerto. All the detail from the theorbo(s) are captured, which is a textural gift in this recording. De Swarte’s articulation and projection are both consistent in the op. 3 concerto. I thought that more dynamic contrast with the ensemble (and even in de Swarte’s solo episodes) would have perfected their interpretation.
The Summer concerto comes from a Genoa manuscript that does not include the sonnet and some of the writing is, well, less-developed. Most will recognize the piece and may not detect the differences. There have been, since the HIPP movement began, some rather interesting interpretations of the Four Seasons but the approach here seems to be to put that contemporary legacy aside and to focus on what’s in the score. I think that was wise. What de Swarte and company end up doing is challenging the concept of a lone solo rock star in front of the other players. The solution they arrive at conveys plenty of dynamics and energy that doesn’t lose the convivial nature of the ensemble working together.
The middle movement of Summer makes it easy for us to hear one of the differences between the op. 8 concerto and this one: listen to the galloping figure in the strings that continues throughout. I am not sure I’m in love with de Swarte’s position to quietly and simply present the melodic material as he does, I think it does well to highlight the solo/ensemble contrasts, but seems to lose the spirit of the soloist trying to engage highly with the audience. Lastly, I didn’t get the sense that all those violinists, cellists, etc. were present in this rendition, but the sound overall was good.
There’s a much bigger sound in the concerto RV 267a per Anna Maria. The opening movement is blocked into smaller sections with contrasting tempi. De Swarte’s presentation in the first movement could have benefitted from more drama? There is nothing wrong with his playing but I can’t help but compare his performances with folk like Tampieri or Onofri, who as contemporary examples from an Italian school, are more apt to show-off bit.
There’s a real challenge in the third movement for the violin part weaves together a rather longwinded stream of notes and de Swarte doesn’t seem to break a sweat, with excellent technical control.
Vivaldi’s C major concerto RV 171 gives a significant opening ritornello part to the orchestra; the solo part goes into the higher reaches of the violin’s gamut (maybe not to the extremes later explored by Locatelli). The largo starts with a statement from the strings in unison, which Vivaldi has done elsewhere; the melodic material is a little strange and might have benefitted from more shaping; as presented it’s left up to us on how to hear what eventually becomes the background to the solo. De Swarte’s line is decorated with ornamentation, but I can’t help but to hear it as something that might have well been sung. And if so, it likely would have had a little more shape and declaration.
The concerto in E minor RV 278 benefits from large forces. The stormy opening demands use of the acoustics to fill the hall with a big sound. The concerto has the signature of a more mature concerto, again by placing so much of the solo in the upper register. De Swarte’s playing is sensitive, technically solid. He plays in such a way that he emerges from the larger group, rather than competing with it. However I think there were some missed opportunities for the soloist to vary his approach with articulation. His interpretation, however, puts the emphasis in the appropriate places in terms of dynamics to capture our attention. The last movement is less developed than the first; some of the figures in the solo compete with the orchestral accompaniment and fail to always be heroically on top. The material around 1:50-2:30 somehow feels underdeveloped.
Another concerto many might recognize is the one in D minor, RV 242 from opus 8, for Pisendel, the famous Dresden-based violinist. The opening solo material is one of the examples where de Swarte almost disappears in the veiled sound he’s able to produce. It follows his pattern of not always projecting hard above the sound of the orchestra, and in this case, I think it’s an interesting sound and creative interpretive decision that works well. The D minor von Westhoff sonata that precedes this concerto seems wrought from the same cloth and gets a similar effect. The band keeps up with de Swarte, and their use of dynamic shaping I think shows off an good amount of polish from their rehearsals.
The “new” concerto RV 252 in E-flat seems wrought from the same pen as other examples here, with some “tempesta di mare” energy. The design isn’t anything new, and again showcases the sweetness of de Swarte’s violin’s higher register. I kept waiting for de Swarte to present himself with a little more swagger and vigor. The short largo presents a simple sounding solo for the violin against the cellos by themselves. Whenever I hear Vivaldi presenting some very basic melodic material like this my mind goes to the creative challenge he’s handed the violinist: here’s the foundation, now how are you going to use this to move the audience? The material could very well have been repeated with the soloist improvising upon the melodic foundation.
I have no authoritative direction on where Vivaldi may have improvised or not, so I understand what I’m projecting isn’t a de facto rule. But the material Vivaldi does provide in the concluding allegro is far more challenging fodder. As far as “first recordings” go, this concerto most definitely carries with it a Vivaldian flavor and signature style. While we may not know this music yet, the themes and construction are not unlike what has been before recorded.
Concluding Remarks
I think Le Consort, under de Swarte’s direction, has succeeded in showcasing the variety of Vivaldi’s compositional art in an interesting way for contemporary audiences by showcasing music that we don’t often hear combined together, and part of that job was completed by introducing never-before recorded music. It’s a large program that exceeds a normal concert length, but for fans of the Red Priest, this should serve many runs in your player or streamed online.
This album brings any listener assurance that de Swarte has the chops to lead an ensemble and that he is a very good violinist. He is fairly consistent in his approach across the recording, favoring fast tempos for outer movements and when the music requires shifting up on the E string, he shows no fright. His intonation across the entire album is spot on and assured.
Any fan of Vivaldi has likely come across the recordings by Fabio Biondi and I’d say he’s a great counterpoint to de Swarte’s style. This is a bit silly, but I might characterize de Swarte’s style as polished, presented by a man in a tux, well-dressed for sure, his shoes highly polished. Biondi, by contrast, has his shirt undone and works up a sweat from time to time throughout the performance.
These are stylistic differences and we are open to have preferences. I hope I’ve been honest enough about how I hear de Swarte’s playing withVivaldi. There’s nothing wrong with his approach or how he interfaces against an ensemble.
Where I grow critical of any musicians in terms of historical practice is where they stick to only playing what’s on the page and not inserting their own contributions. This is tricky for two reasons: composers aren’t exactly clear about where we should do that, or how (although enough treatises have survived to give us great context), and two, should recordings document the composer’s music or mix it up with the performer’s own contributions?
The second point is often addressed by ensembles feeling more free to improvise and the such in live performances. I am okay with that. After all, Vivaldi didn’t have a DAT deck in his pocket at any point during his career.
However, when this album presents arrangements and the like from Fourès, it opens the door to hear more de Swarte’s art with ad hoc ornamentation and improvisatory contributions. I’d love to hear some of these pieces live and what might change given that opportunity presented when a soloist is put in front of an audience, with a mandate to move us.
For my own taste, I don’t think de Swarte will be my favorite interpreter of Vivaldi. Yet there is so much done right on this album. The acoustics, the arresting dynamics of a larger orchestral ensemble, the excellent horn playing by Gabriel Pidoux and Lorentz Réty, it all comes together in a long program that portrays Vivaldi as a crowd-pleasing master of harmony and musical rhetoric.
And maybe that’s my wish for de Swarte: that he was more rhetorical in a few spots, less polite. But be that as it may, there is little doubt of this man’s technical gifts and consistent vision. He does have a few tricks up his sleeves which come off well and provide for us another strong voice in the interpretation of Vivaldi using historical performance principles.
