Avison: Concertos in Seven Parts Done from the Lessons of Domenico Scarlatti (Alpha Collection)

Featuring

Pablo Valetti
Amandine Beyer
Patricia Gagnon
Petr Skalka
Céline Frisch
Café Zimmermann

Charles Avison

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Interpretation

Café Zimmermann's performance aims for a balance between chamber music intimacy and orchestral power, with the ripieno (full orchestra) contrasting with the concertino (solo group).

Historical Context

Domenico Scarlatti's sonatas were extremely popular in London during the first half of the 18th century, partly due to the efforts of organist Thomas Roseingrave, who published 42 of them as 'lessons'.

Composition History

Avison's first concerto grosso arrangement from Scarlatti's sonatas, published in 1743, was so successful that he released the complete collection of twelve the following year.

Interpretation

The performers, Café Zimmermann, approached these concertos as original works, focusing on creating a theatrical dimension through sonority and bowing, rather than strictly imitating Scarlatti's originals.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Avison, a composer, aimed to make Scarlatti's harpsichord lessons more accessible to amateur groups by arranging them for strings, believing their natural beauty was disguised by their difficulty.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Avison published a treatise in 1752, An Essay on Musical Expression, where he shared his views on musical aesthetics and performers of his era, which the present performers consulted for this program.

Composition History

Charles Avison's concerti grossi are arrangements of Domenico Scarlatti's sonatas, transforming single-movement keyboard pieces into multi-movement orchestral works.