Francesco Venturini: Concerto: No.6 in A major | 1715-45

Composer: Francesco Venturini (c.1675-1745)
Concerto: No.6 in A major (1715-45)
Engagement: Venturini as Violinist in the court chapel of Electorate of Hanover
Manuscript Source: Uppsala Universitetsbiblioteket, Sweden
00:00 I. Adagio. Allegro
03:04 II. Adagio
05:02 III. Allegro
The manuscript of the "Concerto à 6" in the violin-friendly key of A major for two solo violins, high strings and basso continuo is today housed in the Uppsala University Library. Its formal conception, featuring a slow-fast-slow-fast movement sequence, corresponds to the Italian church sonata. The two solo violins are at the centre of the composition: in the allegro sections they are given ample opportunity to show off virtuoso runs.
In his concertos for various instruments, Venturini not only contributed to the “mixed taste” by combining French and Italian stylistic elements, but also repeatedly focused on individual instruments in solo passages. Thanks to the new performing editions, carefully prepared by the cellist Christoph Harer who went back to original contemporary sources, la festa musicale brings the composer’s ideas to life. With subtly differentiated variations in instrumentation the musicians achieve impressive musical and acoustic effects, emphasizing Venturini’s compositional skill, his individuality as well as the joie de vivre of his music.
Venturini concertos, all of which are referred to in print as “Sonata”, are orchestral suites. They follow an intriguing pattern: the odd-numbered pieces open with a French overture whilst the even-numbered begin with an Italian concerto in the manner of a sinfonia, which even formally bears the marks of the characteristic mixture of French and Italian stylistic elements. And this mixed style goes further - the introductory movements are followed by a series of French dances and other pieces, for instance Italian-influenced “arias”, where (similarly as in a vocal aria) extended solo passages are often given to individual instruments. The instrumentation also features some French characteristics (e.g. the trio passages for oboe and bassoon), as well as using techniques
of the concerto grosso - originating from the Venetian tradition of polychoral music - when individual solo instruments are juxtaposed with the tutti ensemble. The solo parts for various instruments also reveal Venturini’s contribution to the developing concerto style.
Venturini was born in Brussels around 1675. He is first documented in Hanover, where he got married on 13 January 1697. As an instrumentalist he must have been formidably talented: the Hanoverian court orchestra was, at that time, one of the cultural hotspots in Europe and in 1698, Venturini was engaged as a violinist in the court chapel orchestra.
During the reign of Ernst August, the focus was on the annual opera productions. After his death, Georg Ludwig, his son and heir who was to ascend the English throne as George I in 1714 through the “Act of Settlement”, extended the court orchestra to 17 musicians and concentrated on instrumental music. It was probably as part of this expansion that Venturini was engaged as Kapellmeister, head of the court orchestra, in Hanover.
Resources:
● Dr. Waltraut Anna Lach
● Translation: Viola Scheffel
Performed by:
The North German baroque ensemble "La festa musicale", founded in 2014, stands for excellent artistic standards, which are reflected in creative, cross-disciplinary concert formats and top-class cooperation projects. Concertmaster Anne Marie Harer is the artistic director. The ensemble has appeared at major festivals including the Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival, the Handel Festival Halle, the Tage für Alte Musik Knechtsteden and the Niedersächsische Musiktage. La festa musicale regularly performs with internationally renowned soloists such as Anna Dennis, Peter Kooy, Joanne Lunn, Klaus Mertens, Alex Potter, Andreas Scholl and Zachary Wilder. Joint projects have connected La festa musicale to conductors such as Jörg Breiding, Lajos Rovatkay, Hermann
Max and Jörg Straube.
To listen full album and support artists:
play.audite.de/Venturini-Conc...
Cover art:
"Saint Catherine of Alexandria", oil on canvas by Giovanni Ricca (1603 - c.1656), pupil of Giuseppe Ribera. Giovanni Ricca was an Italian painter from Naples. Currently displayed in Museo Civico d'Arte Antica - Palazzo Madama, in Turin.
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[@victoriar1600]

Απλά υπέροχο!! Just amazing!! Thank you for sharing.

[@MScJorgePoveda]

Nunca le habia escuchado.Muchas gracias.

[@missnellaful]

In relaxed reverence...thank you, for this♡ the professional joy, is healing. Love!

[@alishalileh]

Amazing

[@harryhlm5507]

Grazie mille , for introducing Venturini 👍👍

[@SilvioNobre]

Lindo! ❤️