/ discography at a glance

An Einspielungen von Antonio Vivaldis Violinkonzerten herrscht wahrlich kein Mangel. Doch der Geiger Daniel Hope hat damit als Interpret Eigenes zu sagen.

Sein rasantes Violinspiel rechtfertigt diese Aufnahme, die zudem als Beispiel für die gelungene Anwendung von Erkenntnissen der historischen Aufführungspraxis auf modernem Instrumentarium gelten darf. Das höchst engagiert begleitende Chamber Orchestra of Europe ist klein besetzt, entsprechend transparent und luftig fällt das Klangbild aus.

Der Aufführungstradition des 18. Jahrhunderts entspricht auch das abwechslungsreiche Spiel der Continuo-Gruppe auf Cembalo, Orgel, Gitarre, Laute, Theorbe und Lirone. Als Solist betrachtet Hope die Stücke nicht bloss als technische, sondern auch als emotionale Herausforderung. Man hört dramatische Vorhalte, kühne Dissonanzen und extreme Ausdrucksbereiche wie im ruhelosen Concerto „L'Inquietudine“. In der Arie „Sovvente il sole“ umschmeichelt die Solovioline den erdigen Mezzosopran von Anne Sofie von Otter. Das ist musikalische Stimmungsmalerei pur.

Ohne dogmatische Scheuklappen werden hier einige der wirkungsvollsten Stücke Vivaldis aus der Sicht des 21. Jahrhunderts interpretiert. Daraus entsteht ein erfrischend freier Umgang mit den Tempi und Phrasierungen, wobei die Lust an impulsiven Klängen eindeutig überwiegt.

M. Wohlthat

“Out-of-Season Vivaldi delivered with a winning blend of love and intelligence“

Three cheers for Daniel Hope for making a high-profile Vivaldi release without recourse to The Four Seasons. Not that there is anything wrong with those marvelous pieces of course – indeed, Hope says he “wouldn’t want to live without them“ – but the disc he has produced is surely a deeper way of signalling his love and understanding of the Red Priest. Vivaldi lovers will be familiar with some of the works here, but RV234 is not so well known, while real rarities are RV273, a delicious and long-limbed late work, and a spaciously atmospheric aria with obbligato violin from the opera Andromeda liberata.

Hope and the Chamber Orchestra of Europe play them with the clarity and ensemble precision of a top-class Baroque orchestra, and with their spritely bowing and general avoidance of vibrato, perhaps only the occasional sweetening of tone in Hope’s top register really gives away that modern instruments are at work.

There seems little doubt as to the kind of performances Hope has been influenced by, and the “Baroque“ feel is enhanced by a generous and active continuo section which even runs to a harp and a lirone. What results is Vivaldi that is enjoyable and without quirks, and perhaps all one would wish for is that final ounce of drive and energy the less reined-in playing of a Baroque orchestra can bring to faster movements. On the other hand, Hope’s obvious relish for Vivaldi’s stiller moments brings memorable results in the rich poetry of RV273 (real summer-night warmth here) and the captivatingly wistful “Sovvento il sole“, in which...guest soloist Anne Sofie von Otter catches the mood superbly.

As so often with Daniel Hope, the watchword here is intelligence. One always feels with this artist that he has really thought in advance about what he is playing, that one is hearing the works of an astute mind.

This is a disc made with love and intelligence – a powerful combination.

Lindsay Kemp

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