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Classical Music/Vivaldi Violin Concertos

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Expert: - 7/21/2006


Question
Are there (available) CDs of Vivaldi Violin Concertos recorded piano accompanyment instead of a harpsichord? I love these concertos but cringe when I hear the harpsichord.

I would appreciate any feedback.

Thank You

Answer
heh heh!  As a harpsichordist, I can't find anything wrong with a performance with the instrumentation Vivaldi wanted (tho organ could be substituted and also be historically correct - - I feel sure these works were also performed in churches).  As to a recording with piano, I doubt it.  Unless you find a recording where the continuo part (the harpsichord and a single cello doubling the LH part of the harpsichord - - or a viola da gamba) plus all the orchestra parts have been folded together for one person to perform (this is called an "orchestral reduction") on the keyboard.  I doubt you find such a recording, as most players would frown on this as being musically unsatisfying, as well as very incorrect.  You might try some of the Beethoven sonatas for piano and violin, tho the instruments are "equal" in importance in these works, as opposed to the piano's accompanying the violin, which has the solo material.  I urge you to look into some solo harpsichord recordings.  Visit amazon or someplace like this and listen a few of the free "samples".  Look for keyboard works by Bach (2-part inventions), Scarlatti (sonatas), Handel ("Harmonious Blacksmith" is a famous one), Telemann (not a lot of keyboard only output but very nice), plus French composers such as Lully and Rameau.  If you don't care for harpsichord [yet!] you may find the Frency composers of this period - - Baroque - - too fussy, as the pieces are absolutely encrusted with ornaments. mb

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