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Track(s) taken from CDA67685

Quartetto in G major 'Sinfonia'

composer
published as 'Quartetto 7' by Venier in Paris in 1768 as part of a collection of 'Sinfonias'; Butler Collection, New York

Auser Musici, Raul Orellana (violin), Daniela Godio (violin), Pasquale Lepore (viola), Marco Ceccato (cello)
Recording details: June 2007
Oratorio di S Domenico, Pisa, Italy
Produced by Sigrid Lee
Engineered by Roberto Meo
Release date: June 2008
Total duration: 14 minutes 22 seconds

Cover artwork: A Neapolitan Musical Party (c1775) by David Allan (1744-1796)
Sotheby’s Picture Library
 

Reviews

‘The enchantingly radiant quality of D'Orazio's playing and Lidarti's music … D'Orazio possesses just the right kind of lithe, flexible and elegant and pure sound this music cries out for, and he directs Auser Musici (familiar from an enchanting disc of Boccherini Flute Quintets) with flair, imagination and in the slow movements a moving sensitivity to line, dynamic and harmonic pacing’ (International Record Review)

‘The three violin concertos … would happily stand comparison with Haydn's works in the genre. Soloists Francesco D'Orazio gives fine accounts of Lidarti's technically demanding music and his cadenzas are nicely in the style of the period … all four works reveal a composer with a keen sense of dramatic melody … these are all world premiere recordings, and violinists looking for new repertoire should certainly hear it’ (Early Music Today)

‘Tunefulness, energy and general amiability … a true Classical period sensibility … the violin concertos are directed with verve and grace by the virtuoso soloist, Francesco D'Orazio … he is a lithe, elegant and characterful performer and his elaborate cadenzas are delightfully playful’ (Goldberg)

‘Christian Joseph Lidarti (1730–95) is another new name to learn and not forget again. Re-discovered for these premiere recordings by a Pisan vocal and instrumental ensemble, this is another composer to scotch the 'canon' which dominates concerts and recordings. Some 400 works of his can be found in the British Library and in a collection in Tuscany. These here are undated, but this eighteenth-century Italian composer bridges the baroque and classical periods. They are superbly realised by the consummate artistry and virtuosity of Francesco D'Orazio … an excellent first for Hyperion’ (MusicalPointers.co.uk)
As an example of Lidarti’s chamber music, there is the Quartetto in G major, which belongs to a collection of quartets found in the Butler Library, New York. These same quartets were published in Paris (by Venier in 1768) as ‘Sinfonias’, in line with the late-baroque practice of instrumental music existing in two versions, chamber and orchestral. On the title page, in order to secure its place in the collection, the piece is called ‘Quartetto 7’. It is in three movements: Larghetto (2/4, G major), 80 bars with a repeat placed exactly half way through, with a cantabile theme and a series of arpeggios; Allegro (2/4, G major), 107 bars also divided into two halves with a repeat after the first 41 bars; Tempo di menué (3/4, G major), 70 bars with a repeat in the middle. The Quartet is characterized by its antiquated style, with the two violins in constant dialogue while the viola and cello play an accompanimental role, filling out the counterpoint. Great attention is given to detailed phrasing, and to indications of tempo and expression: the result is a work of enormous sensibility and pleasure.

from notes by Dinko Fabris © 2008

Voici comme exemple de l’art de composer propre à Lidarti, un Quatuor en sol majeur dont la copie manuscritte est conservée à la Butler Library de New York. Ces mêmes quatuors avaient été publiés à Paris (par Venier en 1768) comme «Symphonies», témoignage éloquent de la fin de l’époque baroque qui prévoyait une double utilisation, même pour orchestre, de la musique pour instruments en parties réelles. Sur la première page et afin d’être situé dans la collection, le morceau apparaît comme «Quartetto 7». Il est formellement structuré en trois mouvements: (i) Larghetto (2/4, sol majeur), 80 mesures avec un refrain exactement à la moitié, avec un thème «chantant» et des séries d’arpèges; (ii) Allegro (2/4, sol majeur), 107 mesures, mouvement lui aussi en deux parties avec un refrain après les premières 41 mesures; (iii) Tempo di menué (3/4, sol majeur) de 70 mesures, toujours en deux parties avec un refrain exactement à la moitié. Nous pouvons considérer ce quatuor un divertissement à la saveur archaïque, où les deux violons en dialogue constant se distinguent nettement de par une remarquable implication technique par rapport à la viole et au violoncelle souvent ramenés à une fonction de remplissage contrapuntique. Une grande attention est toutefois portée aux phrasés, tout comme aux indications de temps et d’expression et le résultat est une page de grande sensibilité et de goût sur la voie qui va de la galanterie aux nouvelles affectivités du classicisme haydenien.

extrait des notes rédigées par Dinko Fabris © 2008
Français: Céline Mongason

Als Beispiel für Lidartis Kammermusik, das Quartett in G-Dur, das zu einer Sammlung von Quartetten gehört, die sich in der Butler Library in New York befinden. Diese Quartette wurden (1768 von Venier) in Paris als „Symphonien“ veröffentlicht, entsprechend der Praxis des späten Barock, Instrumentalmusik in zwei Fassungen als Kammer- und Orchestermusik herauszugeben. Auf dem Titelblatt wird das Stück als „Quartetto 7“ bezeichnet, um seinen Platz in der Sammlung zu bestimmen. Es steht in drei Sätzen: Larghetto (2/4, G-Dur), 80 Takte mit einer Wiederholung genau halbwegs und mit einem cantabile-Thema und einer Serie von Arpeggien; Allegro (2/4, G-Dur), 107 Takte, die ebenfalls mit einer Wiederholung nach den ersten 41 Takten in zwei Hälften geteilt wird; Tempo di menué (3/4, G-Dur), 70 Takte lang mit einer Wiederholung in der Mitte. Das Quartett zeichnet sich durch seinen antiquierten Stil aus: mit den zwei Violinen in stetigem Dialog während Viola und Cello eine begleitende Rolle spielen und den Kontrapunkt ausfüllen. Phrasierung, Tempo und Ausdrucksbezeichnungen sind sorgfältig ausgearbeitet, und das Resultat ist ein Werk von enormer Sensibilität und Gefälligkeit.

aus dem Begleittext von Dinko Fabris © 2008
Deutsch: Renate Wendel

Come esempio dell’arte compositiva cameristica di Lidarti, dopo aver fornito in passato esempi di formazioni con strumenti diversi, questa incisione discografica di Auser Musici propone un Quartetto in sol maggiore da una raccolta la cui copia manoscritta è conservata presso la Butler Library di New York. Questi stessi quartetti erano stati pubblicati a Parigi (da Venier nel 1768) come «Sinfonie», eloquente testimonianza della prassi tardobarocca ancora in uso di doppia destinazione, anche orchestrale, della musica per strumenti in parti reali. Sul frontespizio, per la sua collocazione nella raccolta, il brano compare come «Quartetto 7». Formalmente si struttura in tre movimenti: (i) Larghetto (2/4, sol maggiore), 80 battute con un ritornello alla metà esatta, con un tema cantabile e serie di arpeggi; (ii) Allegro (2/4, sol maggiore), 107 battute anch’esso bipartito con un ritornello dopo le prime 41 battute; (iii) Tempo di menué (3/4, sol maggiore) di 70 battute, sempre bipartito con ritornello esattamente a metà. Possiamo considerare il Quartetto un divertimento dal sapore arcaico, dove si staccano nettamente i due violini in costante dialogo, di notevole impegno tecnico, rispetto a viola e violoncello spesso ridotti a puro riempitivo contrappuntistico. Molta attenzione è tuttavia prestata in ogni parte ai fraseggi, così come alle indicazioni agogiche ed espressive, ed il risultato è una pagina di grande sensibilità e gusto sulla strada che dalla galanteria porta alle nuove affettività del classicismo haydniano.

Dinko Fabris © 2008

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