L’arte del violino
Brilliant violin virtuosity from the 18th century
Vivaldi – Hasse – Locatelli – C. P. E. Bach
Ilya Gringolts, violin
Finnish Baroque Orchestra
Ilya Gringolts returns as the Finnish Baroque Orchestra’s soloist with a programme that puts violin virtuoso and composer Pietro Locatelli, who has been named Paganini of the 18th century, in the spotlight. Locatelli was born in Bergamo, he studied in Rome and he spent his youth touring the courts of Central Europe with his violin, before he settled in Amsterdam when he turned thirty. The city was one of Europe’s seething music centres in the heart of the note publishing business, and in 1733, Locatelli published his violin concertos L’arte del violino, The art of the violin, which he had composed during his travelling years. With this concerto collection, Locatelli redefined the violin and created a grammar of virtuosity, which demarcated the development of Romantic heroic violinism.
The L’arte del violino concerto compilation applied the three-part solo concerto model developed by Vivaldi in the early 18th century, which had become a Baroque hit. During Locatelli’s time, in the mid-18th century, several styles were trending in Europe. A new movement had risen to challenge the Italian Baroque: gently singing and indulging in passionate melodies, the gallant style draw inspiration from the extremely popular Italian opera. The grand old man of opera seria in the mid-18th century was Johann Adolf Hasse, who worked in Dresden and Northern Italy. His operas were among the most beloved of the era, and he also composed plenty of instrumental music.
The mid-18th century experienced a transition from the swirly Baroque to a new, clear-cut and straight-forward expression. In literature, early Romanticism was breaking out with grand emotions and natural scenes, and immediate emotional expression was gaining ground in music, too. This state of turbulence is embodied in the tonal language of Carl Philipp Emmanuel Bach, who led the lofty style in an even bolder direction. The sharp contrasts, the grim emotions and the electric tension of Bach’s symphonies reflect the early Romantic storms and passions.
Duration: 1 h 45 min (incl. intermission)
Ville Komppa will lead a pre-concert discussion and interview Ilya Gringolts at the House of Nobility on October 8th from 5–5.30 pm.