Search - Pietro Antonio Locatelli, Gunter Kehr, Mainz Chamber Orchestra :: Locatelli: Art of the Violin 2

Lautenbacher + Locatelli = Vox's Best

Polkadotty | Mountains of Western North Carolina | 07/23/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Pietro Antonio Locatelli (1695-1764) was a child prodigy who studied with Corelli, and traveled extensively in performance before settling in Amsterdam. 'L'arte del violino (The Art of the Violin)', a set of twelve violin concertos issued together with 24 Capricci for solo violin, is his best known work.



These compositions were a major influence on the development of violin technique, especially in France where from the early 19th century Locatelli's particular virtuosity almost exclusively influenced the teaching of the instrument. Because of this, these works have been somewhat spuriously opined by some as student exercises a bit along the lines of the Anna Magdelena Bach Notebook ~ which in and of itself is far more than that.



These are stand-alone, fully-realised compositions rivalling and foreshadowing the Paganini Caprices of the following century; indeed, it is popularly regarded that Locatelli proved Paganini's inspiration for the writing of his famous caprices. Dubbed 'daring' by some, 'L'arte del violino' is a technical challenge to perform, stressing the limits of the baroque violin's tessitura, in some places forcing the violinist, if using an authentic 1660-1700s era violin, to place the fingers past the fingerboard and onto naked string. (Paganini would be proud!)



Susanne Lautenbacher proves well up to the task and performs admirably ~ so much so that some regard her interpretation as the finest currently available. Certainly Miss Lautenbacher's solid, unflustered style free of fireworks and flash suits this music to a tee. As I am a great admirer of Miss Lautenbacher's crystal clear diction, her utmost respect for the music, I consider this to be perhaps her most masterful recordings. Agree or diagree, these are recordings of undeniable historical importance, for this particular 'The Art of the Violin' put the legendary Vox label on the map.

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