Violin Concertos: Benda, Graun, Sirmen, Saint-Georges in Bloomington, MN

It's not hard to divine the reason this album of 18th century violin concertos rose onto best-seller charts in late summer of 2022: the music is all but unknown, except for the
Mozart
Rondo in C major for violin and orchestra, K. 373
, and it's of high quality. There are several world premieres, including an elegant concerto by
Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges
, among the first classical composers of African ancestry. There is also a piece by
Maddalena Lombardini Sirmen
, also known as
Maddalena Laura Lombardini
, a student of
Tartini
and among the first female violin virtuosos. Her
Violin Concerto in B flat major
beautifully integrates virtuosity into a melodious pre-Classical framework and indicates that this composer deserves to be much better known. It is really worth the price of admission alone, but the concertos by
Franz Benda
and
Johann Gottlieb Graun
, who would have been well known as composers at the court of
Frederick the Great
, are also accomplished and highly listenable works.
Il Pomo d'Oro
and violinist/leader
Zefira Valova
offer the group's typical high-octane style; this works well enough in the Italianate concertos but not so well in the more delicate French style of
Bologne
.
Aparte
's sound from Italy's Villa San Fermo is harsh, but the concluding
, which clearly carries echoes of the earlier music, is an inspired choice. This album will be an important find for anyone interested in the early Classical period. ~ James Manheim