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GRAMOPHONE (07/2025)
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Pentatone  PTC5187234

Code barres / Barcode : 8717306262347

Reviewer : Mark Seow

The 12 Concerti grossi of Corelli’s Op 6 are a gleaming staple of the Baroque repertoire. The work’s publication arrived in 1714, a year after the composer’s death. But this was not the first time Rome mourned. When in 1708 Corelli withdrew from public view to revise his compositions for printing, a rumour circulated that he was dead. His agent even had to issue a statement declaring this to be fake news.

The Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin (Akamus) present the first six of the set – and presumably the next six are on their way. Booklet notes by Bernhard Schrammek provide context, including a description of how Corelli held the position of concertmaster with such passion that his eyes ‘turned red as fire, his face would contort, his eyeballs would roll as if in agony’. It’s a good thing, then, that leadership here is shared between Mayumi Hirasaki and Georg Kallweit, both of whom perform excellent solos – although it is not completely clear whether the concertino consistently comprise this pair, or whether the second solo is performed by violinist Dörte Wetzel. Either way, I frequently desire a louder second violin line. The homophonic passages from the two solo violins, which admittedly are entirely pleasant, would shine brighter.

Corelli’s orchestra in Rome was known for its flexibility and on special occasions it could include up to 150 players. Now, I don’t expect this from Akamus here, but I do need more sumptuousness. The opening movements of the concertos Nos 1 and 3 get at something of this lushness, yet the balance of the ensemble keeps resplendent resonance out of reach.

The performances on the whole are a mixed bag, and the sixth concerto exemplifies this. The opening Adagio is lovely, with its generous buzzing bass and perfumed extemporary harmonisations from David Bergmüller on the archlute and harpist Margret Köll. The second movement, an Allegro, has refreshing vitality. However, by the time we get to the Largo, I’m lulled into boredom. The tempo is more than a few clicks too fast and the result is pedestrian. The final two movements get us back on track; the electricity, however, is unsustained. In terms of musical parameters, a myriad of decisions could lift these performances: a faster tempo or spikier articulation possibly, punchier or clearer lines, more ornamentation perhaps – something, anything, more. I’m certain that Corelli, with his contorted face and red, rolling eyes, would be giving something more.

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