Description

Onyx: Vivaldi — 5 Violin Concertos — Viktoria Mullova, Il Giardino Armonico, Antonini (CD)

Brand new! Factory packaged! As pictured! Buy with confidence!

Product Details:

Product Type: Audio CD
Brand / Label: Onyx (Onyx Classics)
Composer: Antonio Vivaldi
Works: 5 Violin Concertos
Soloist: Viktoria Mullova (violin)
Orchestra: Il Giardino Armonico
Conductor: Giovanni Antonini
Release Year: 2005
UPC: 880040400127
Catalogue Number: ONYX 4001
Genre: Classical / Baroque / Concerto

Product Features

Format: CD
Discs: 1
Recording type: DDD
Performance: On authentic period instruments; Mullova plays the 'Jules Falk' 1723 Stradivarius
Made in Germany
Condition: Brand New, Factory Sealed

Overview

This was the disc that launched the Onyx label — its very first release, ONYX 4001 — and it announced its arrival with a statement: Viktoria Mullova playing Vivaldi on period instruments with Giovanni Antonini's Il Giardino Armonico, one of the most electric Baroque ensembles around.

Mullova came to early-instrument playing from a formidable modern-violin career, and that combination is what makes this account so striking. Five concertos, chosen to show Vivaldi's range rather than just his greatest hits: the showy "Grosso Mogul," RV 208, with its written-out cadenzas; the famous B minor concerto for four violins from L'estro armonico; and the vividly characterised "L'Inquietudine" and "Il Favorito." Played on gut strings with the bite and spring Il Giardino Armonico is known for, these are anything but routine.

The technical detail is part of the appeal here: Mullova plays the 'Jules Falk' Stradivarius of 1723, set up for period performance, and the whole ensemble works on authentic instruments. The result is Vivaldi with edge — rhythmically alive, full of colour, and free of the routine that can dull this repertoire.

A strong choice for Baroque-violin enthusiasts, Mullova followers, and collectors who like a recording with a bit of history attached to it.

Interesting Facts

This was the inaugural release of the Onyx Classics label, catalogue number ONYX 4001.
Viktoria Mullova defected from the Soviet Union in 1983 in a dramatic escape via Finland and Sweden, leaving her violin behind in a hotel room as a decoy.
The Concerto in B minor for four violins, RV 580, is from L'estro armonico and was famously transcribed for four harpsichords by J.S. Bach.
Mullova plays the 'Jules Falk' Stradivarius of 1723, here set up with period specifications.
The "Grosso Mogul" concerto, RV 208, is notable for its extended, virtuosic written-out cadenzas.
Il Giardino Armonico, founded in Milan in 1985 and led by Giovanni Antonini, is among the most celebrated period-instrument ensembles in the world.

Track Listing

Tracks 1–3: Concerto in D major, "Grosso Mogul," RV 208 — 13:01
Tracks 4–6: Concerto in B minor for 4 violins and cello, RV 580 (Op. 3 No. 10) — 8:55 (Soloists: Viktoria Mullova, Stefano Barneschi, Marco Bianchi, Riccardo Masahide Minasi, violins; Marco Testori, cello)
Tracks 7–9: Concerto in C major, RV 187 — 11:45
Tracks 10–12: Concerto in D major, RV 234, "L'Inquietudine" — 6:18
Tracks 13–15: Concerto in E minor, RV 277, "Il Favorito" — 12:58

(Individual movement titles/timings aren't printed; per-concerto durations shown above.)