Customer Reviews

Geminiani: Concerti Grossi (after Corelli Op 5) /AAM * Manze

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

When an album is highly praised and recommended, I am normally skeptical. Like with new films, the critics tend to praise what isn't praiseworthy, making one wonder if good reviews aren't bought rather than earned through honest merit. This could not be so in this case -- as advertised, this album is superb. As the reviews overwhelmingly state, the presentation is really lovely -- Manze keeps the liveliness of the Concerto Grossi, upholding the spirit of the baroque, while also bringing an ethereal emotion to each piece. Dominant in the soundtrack are the violin counterposed with a subtle harpsichord, and in between the two instruments are the full range of the chamber orchestra. The sound is crisp and clear on this recording -- the louder you play it, the more dynamic and truly beautiful the music gets. Anyone fond of Baroque will find this a must-have album, while if you've never encountered Baroque composers, this is a good place to start, the presentation being really excellent and charming.

I must echo the previous reviewer's statement that if you aren't a fan of baroque, that this is a good place to start. For the most part, I've never found baroque music appealing. I've always gone for Shostakovich, Ravel, Debussy, Prokofiev, Takemitsu, Dvorak, Arvo Part, John Tavener, Tan Dun, etc. I then heard Geminiani Concerto no. 12 "Follia" and nearly came undone. Violinist Andrew Manze is one of the most inspired violinists I've ever heard. His playing and leadership with the impeccable Academy of Ancient Music is awe-inspiring. The only reason I knew who Academy of Ancient Music was is because of their recent commissions by John Tavener. This disc is passionate when need be, subtle when called for and every thing else appropriate to the moment.

Enough good can't be said about these two discs: strong music, strong playing, strong production/sound. Worth every penny...and that's saying a lot from a lover of 20th century music. Run, don't walk to get this.

As the reader may already know, the opus 5 violin sonatas of Corelli were the inspiration for this orchestral interpretation of them by Geminiani. As related by Manze in his album notes, Corelli chose the significant year 1700 to publish opus 5, and according to Manze, this represents a landmark in Italian baroque, for every composer who came after has had to reckon with these sonatas, and somehow find a way to equal (but not surpass) them in invention and creativity. Vivaldi composed his own version of "La Follia" (Sonata XII), arguably better than Corelli's; but many another of Vivaldi's sonatas, magnificent though they are, simply do not have the clarity, spirituality, grace, and lyricism of the Corelli opus 5. Geminiani, a student of Corelli, and arguably one of the greatest baroque violinists of his day, crafted these orchestral versions of the opus 5 as a tribute to his master. Manze rightly observes that these concertos are not simply orchestrations of opus 5, but actually extensions of it; they are variations to some extent, creative expansions and magnificent glosses on the originals. New points of emphasis are added, some phrasings are given a different turn, new counterpoint is introduced at various places in the score to enhance the subtle beauty of the originals. If you love the Italian baroque, you will not want to be without this gem. But as others have observed, don't neglect the original sonatas themselves. Manze has recorded his own inimitable version on Harmonia Mundi, and I strongly recommend it. But there are others as well. Elizabeth Wallfisch on the Hyperion Label has her own recording, slightly more subdued yet also smoother than Manze's. I strongly recommend that you buy as many versions of the opus 5 as you have the budget for (well, at least three!), starting with these orchestrations by Geminiani. They will teach you to love the originals. Look at them as perhaps a point of entrance into what many consider the greatest violin sonatas ever written.

I simply love this music, because it is so much deeper than any other music I know of. Geminiani understood perfectly how to use harmony and counterpoint to convey a large array of deeply felt emotions. In the slow parts there are beautiful and tender melodies filled with sweet harmonies (and sometimes very bitter dissonants), whereas the faster parts burst with energy and a burning love for live. I particularly love the last concerto (La Folia), which is incredibly lively and virtuosic. It's too bad that Bach learned the Italian style of music from Vivaldi and not from Geminiani (or Corelli). They would have fit together perfectly.

Manze does an excellent job in pushing the Academy of Ancient Music to its limits. They play very well - I think Geminiani would have been proud to hear his concerti played with such enthusiasm.

geminiani wrote some fine concerti in his career, but buyers should be aware that these 12 concerti grossi are actually geminiani's transcriptions for chamber orchestra of the 12 sonatas for violin and continuo, op.5, by his teacher, the roman composer archangelo corelli. (this explains the inclusion of two of the original corelli sonatas on the disc.) i am a great fan of both corelli and geminiani, and their mellifluous, elegant and sophisticated style of baroque music sounds great in any format ... but you may enjoy these sonatas more performed in their original versions.

I was driving back from Caramoor one Sunday when I heard a piece from this recording. That is when I decided to turn down a road I hadn't been don before just so I could listen to the whole thing. As soon as I got home I was on WQXRs playlist trying to determine what it was I had been listening to.

You do not have to be a fan of the Baroque to appreciate this recording ... I don't think you even need to have an appreciation of classical music. And, if you love Vivaldi - you will truly fall for this.

There is something very special about an entire orchestra playing on period instruments and hearing the music - not just note-for-note but, with the same sound it would have been head in when it was originally written. The Academy of Ancient Music is truly a treasure among orchestras worldwide.

Like a great cover band, Francesco Geminiani took Arcangelo Corelli's Op. 5 Violin Sonatas and reworked them into a classic set of Concerti Grossi just like ... Arcangelo Corelli's Op. 6 Concerti. And where a composer like Antonio Vivaldi is exhuberant in his music, Corelli mumbles by comparison. His music is distinguished by its pristine tonal beauty and purity of melodic invention with a narrow tessitura and reticence in its dynamics. Geminiani, by adding embellishments and ornamentation to Corelli's sonatas as well as discrete additional composition, created a superb set of twelve Concerti that retains Corelli's purity of melodic invention while expanding their tessitura, increasing their dynamics and making them memorably beautiful. This is a superb set of Concerti, wonderfully played by Andrew Manze and the AAM. They compare favorably with Corelli's Op. 6 collection. In fact, I've played them back to back and have never found the experience to be either boring or an overindulgence. Geminiani's own music is not as memorable. This was his greatest contribution to music and it's one I strongly recommend.

Mike Birman

As I heartily agree with Dan Grunfeld's review I can be brief. Corelli's opus 5, 12 sonatas for violin, with harpsichord or cello, set the standard for violin composition and playing for 100 years; his pupil and loving disciple, Geminiani, has carefully orchestrated and developed them into 12 concerti grossi, which doubles our pleasure, in no way does it make the original sonatas obsolete. Although I have sone reservations with some of Andrew Manze's recordings of Vivaldi and Bach violin concertos,he does a superb job in this recording. His recording of Handel's Opus 6, Mr Handels's Twelve Grand Concertos, more concerti grossi, is also excellent.

Corelli, Geminiani, Manze and the Academy of Ancient Music all blended into one amazing album!

I'll admit, I don't yet own the original violin sonatas by Corelli that these concerti grossi are based on by Geminiani; nor am I very familiar with them musically. However, the album includes one of the original Corelli sonatas played with just violin and cello. To compare the sonata version with the concerto grosso version is intriguing and both are fully enjoyable - this was a highlight of the album. This also prompted me to look up the other recording of the Corelli violin sonatas by Manze here on Amazon - which can be found here: Corelli: Violin Sonatas, Op. 5. When listening to the samples of Manze performing the sonatas on the other album I have to say I really prefer the cello accompaniment of this album over the harpsichord accompaniment of the other. I would love to obtain a recording of all these sonatas with Manze and a cellist.

The orchestration of these sonatas by Geminiani is wonderfully done. It is obvious that he approached this project with a real passion for the material and truely wanted to honor Corelli's music.

The performance of the Academy of Ancient Music is first rate, in my opinion. The recording quality is superb.

My overall impression of the music is that it is a bit slower than other concerti grossi that I am familiar with, and at times a bit somber. However, there are definitely moments of joy and playfulness within the music. It's just the overall mood is a bit heavier and requires a little bit more of my attention to appreciate. The more I listen to it, the more it grows on me.

As a point of reference for my review, I bought the MP3 download and can't say that I have a bias one way or another on period instruments vs. modern, although most of the Baroque albums I have recently acquired seem to be period instrument based. It is my first Geminiani album and second Corelli (I have his Op. 6 - Corelli: 12 Concerti Grossi Op.6). Telemann, Handel and Vivaldi are the most prominent Baroque composers in my collection. It is my second album by the Academy of Ancient Music (Handel's Op. 3 is the other - Handel: Concerti Grossi, Op. 3 / Sonata a 5). If you like the concerto grosso format, I also recommend these albums:

Handel Concerti Grossi Opus 6
Torelli: Concertos
Charles Avison: Twelve Concertos, Op. 6

in london on that cold rainey tuesday night i saw andrew play some of these selections

he brought the house down or i should say the wren church

like a rock star in a way

he was covered in sweat

i love music

all music played with passion

i have fantasies

a young music group

outside the local classical music station

all relaxing all the time

they call the press those young musicians

we are so very passionate declares the young violinist

themes and variations 25

from geminiani's remiz of corelli

and they play their heart out

and maybe the tv station has a music lover

he loves jimmi at woodstock playing the national anthem

the smiths how soon is now

U2 playing sunday bloody sunday sunday live in dublin

its the last story the only in san francisco story

and its played to its fullest

and the young players really show it off

that young vioinest really plays

and that sweat and passion

he even makes a woop

during the most passionate part

impresses the station manager who loves jimmi at woodstock

and morrisey

and U2 in dublin

wow