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GRAMOPHONE (09/2016)
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Reviewer: Charlotte Gardner

During the 17th and 18th centuries, Vienna’s Habsburg Court was one of the foremost political and cultural centres in Europe. The reign of Emperor Charles VI (1711‑40) in particular saw composers from all over Europe dedicating musical works to him in the hope of being admitted to the prestigious Hofkapelle, where they could enjoy a combination of prestige, high levels of musicianship and all-important financial security. Vivaldi himself appears to have made repeated attempts to be taken in, all of which failed.

Andrés Gabetta and Cappella Gabetta have presented a selection of these musical CVs, all violin concertos, and although someone should have taken a red pen to the PR‑ish breathiness of some of the disc’s presentational text (the early music specialists of Cappella Gabetta have apparently been ‘handpicked’, for instance, but as opposed to what exactly?) the recorded musical content itself is genuinely vibrant and arresting.

The concertos themselves are an interesting bunch; Vivaldi’s first La Cetra A minor concerto, RV358, makes for a punchy start, after which we’re into lesser-trodden but equally lively territory with two concertos each from Angelo Ragazzi and Joseph Umstatt, and a further concerto from Joseph Ferdinand Timmer (this latter a premiere recording). Lesserspotted composers aside, though, this is just immensely feel-good stuff, helped by the fact that, with the exception of the searing Vivaldi opener, it’s major keys all the way, with toe-tapping tunes and plenty of virtuoso showing off. Gabetta’s playing itself is neat-fingered, lean-toned and full of nuance, supported by an ensemble clearly enjoying themselves in the gently sonorous surroundings of the nave in Guebwiller’s Les Dominicains convent. All in all, great fun and beautifully played.

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