The 1690 ‘Tuscan’ Stradivari
Violin Sonatas by Vivaldi, Veracini, Geminiani, Corelli, Tartini and Locatelli
Fabio Bioni (violin),
Antonio Fantinuoli (cello), Giangiacomo Pinardi (theorbo),
Paola Poncet (harpsichord)
Glossa GCD 923412 62:01 mins
Apart from
Fabio Biondi, the other star on this recording is the violin itself, acknowledged to be one of Stradivari’s finest, and once owned by the great Giaconda de Vito. At first, I felt that it could have been more prominent in the balance, but quickly realised that its sweetness and power are actually well matched by the recording, which allows the lively contribution of the continuo to be heard in detail.
It was a clever move to start with a chaconne from Veracini: the changes of tempo and texture reveal complete unity of purpose from the players, in dynamic shaping, tonal colour and rhythmic impulse, led by Biondi’s wide-ranging imagination. He isn’t scared to bring pliability to the musical line, and there are many delights: some might have made the final Allegro of Geminiani’s Op. 4/8 a strictly metrical romp: here it’s a more relaxed, questioning affair.
Ornamentation is integrated and never overdone – the Prelude in Corelli’s Op. 5/9, or the ‘Affettuoso’ in Tartini’s Didone abbandonata are timed and shaped to perfection. But you also feel that Biondi would be quite capable of doing something quite different and equally inventive next time he plays it. Also, in the Corelli, the ‘Giga’ and ‘Gavotta’ movements really dance, and the fireworks in all the fast movements are dispatched with easy virtuosity, which is especially telling in
Vivaldi. Double stops are effortless in the Locatelli, tone and attack are precisely moulded, even at speed, and if there’s a single out-of-tune note anywhere it passed me by. Martin Cotton
PEFORMANCE ★★★★★
RECORDING ★★★★★