Customer Reviews

Manchester Sonatas 1-6

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3 star:		(1)
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1 star:		(1)

 

 

One does not have to get very far when exploring music of the Baroque era to recognize the notariety of Mr. Andrew Manze - considered by many a fan and critic alike to be one of the finest period violinist in the world. Some time ago, I started to listen to a lot of his music (including this CD) but was frankly surprized I was not as enthusiastic as others about some aspects of his playing. But, because he is so well reviewed by the press, I thought I must be missing something. Then I read critical reviews like the one by "Octavius" and think that maybe it is not my ears that are off.

There is no question of this violinist's extraordinary, lightening-fast playing - playing that leaves you with your mouth open in amazement at times. But, fine music is more than this. I summarize Mr. Manze's playing this way: the "blacker" the musical score (highly rhythmic, demisemiquaver-rich music), the more he excels and sounds brilliant ... but the barer the music page (adagios, largos, lyrical-rich music of mere crotchets and semibreves), the less alluring he sounds compared to his peer period fiddlers. Like the reviewer below notes, Italian music like Vivaldi has such a strong, inherent aria-like lyricism and passionate expressivity (which is part of what it means to be "Italian" historically) that it takes a special touch to bring this out - one of more inner emotive qualities than outer technical skills exclusively. If its sweet, singing tones you most admire, then others will excel more at this than Manze (who has a more "direct" style). I don't intend to offend Manze fans here, but some of his melodic lines sound somewhat awkwardly phrased and not quite right tonally - especially when compared to others like Biondi or Podger - and just does not wear well through a 75 minute CD (tracks 11 and 17 are just two examples). So, overall, I wouldn't rate this CD among the first choices among Romanesca's finer recordings. Their Biber and Schmelzer sontatas are some of their better recordings.

The other available recording for this composition comes from fellow Baroque-specialist, Fabio Biondi, Allesandrini and others(Arcana) - musicians who seem more on-target at creating the right nuances, legato and tonal colorations that bring out this music's inherent singing voice. If you listen to any of Fabio Biondi's Vivaldi, you can hear this difference. While Manze brings an excitement and panache in many of the allegros, correntes and prestos here (as in track 12, 16 or 24), he seems to struggle more to find the smooth and flowing 'singing quality' needed to fully express Vivaldi's slower, cantabile movements. These impressions were confirmed in the Penguin Guide review of these two CD's which said, "... the sound of Andrew Manze's violin is rather raw ... while Fabio Biondi's tone is so much sweeter." Part of this difference may be due to the more spacious Arcana recording versus the closer sound-stage of the HM recording (though which is nicely balanced between instruments). Regardless of performance, these sonatas are important historically (discovered in the 1973 in the Manchester Music Library .. hence the title, "Manchester Sonatas") and reveal some new things about Vivaldi previously not fully appreciated perhaps.

This performance represents a common problem with academic performers and traditional Baroque chamber groups who focus too much on technique and so little on lyricism: painful screeches and abrubt changes in pace that have no mood or expression. It's enough to give many a big migraine as if someone's nails just scratched the blackboard. This has to be one of the singularly worst performances of Vivaldi I have ever heard.

Manze and Romanesca are talented musicians but they tend to approach their interpretations very academically and such over-emphasis in technique kills the passion of something in the nature of a lyrical sonata especially if they are those of Vivaldi. Such techniques tend to work better with Protestant German Baroque solo violin arrangements such as Bach's violin partitas and sonatas that are technically demanding and more methodical in actual performance. The Italian/Catholic tradition is more expressive with solo violin pieces and Manze is simply not a very impressive performer for this style as he simply puts more method than passion into his performance when the piece actually demands the exact opposite. Manze and Romanesca are methodical traditionalists and tend to overperform or accentuate even more on certain Baroque techniques that were either not as prevalent in the Italian style or upon pieces of whose composers such as Vivaldi and Biber were not really traditionalists themselves in strictly applying the conventions of their time. The main problem with Manze's technique is just that: he empasizes individual techniques but fails to give each of them the passion required to make the summation of the work melodic and passionate. In short, he's practicing the techniques as opposed to really performing the piece as it was supposed to be heard. Ironically then, he is not performing a traditional interpretation because Vivaldi didn't write these sonatas mainly for technique practice but instead for public performance. These performances require a very fluid technique of expression that Manze simply lacks as a violinist. Compare Goebel's/Musika Antiqua Koln's passionate style in their rendition for Biber's 'Mystery Sonatas' to Manze's with Romanesca and you will hear the difference and which is superior. Generally for any German or Italian Baroque strings, and especially Vivaldi or other later Italian Baroque composers, I would recommend every performance by I Musici di Roma who balance Romantic expressionism with Baroque formulism to perfection and play mostly on Stradivarius strings. Their 1982 performance with Pina Carmirelli for 'The Four Seasons' which is simply epic in its clarity, resonance, and passion, is a perfect example of their performances.

This performance by Romanesca is without question the worst performance available if not the worst I have heard. I wouldn't buy it! If you are looking for music in the Catholic/Italian Baroque style generally, avoid Manze and Romanesca altogether unless no one else has recorded it or you need it for practicing on technique. Stick with Italian performers or German groups such as Musika Antiqua Koln whose specialties are in the Italian/Catholic Baroque tradition.

I highly reccomend this CD and its companion volume. For those who think they know Vivaldi this is a rare treat, showing his compositional abilites in a new, more measured but nonetheless exciting form

I truly love this CD. The 17th century music as played by Romanesca is outstanding. I highly recommend this CD.

Vivaldi is a great composer. This cd is great too. Good music for classical lovers.