Zani: Concertos for violin & strings

Ciccolini, Alessandro, Compagnia de Musici

PC 10254

Not that much is known about Andrea Zani (1696-1757). • Antonio Caldara, master of music at court in Mantua, invited him to accompany him to Vienna where he was also assistant master of the music at the Habsburg court. Zani arrived, in Vienna, sometime between 1727 and 1729 and actively participated in the concert scene and as a composer, leaving Vienna after the death of his patron Caldara in 1736, and returning to Italy where he spent the rest of his life. • His Op. 2, published in 1729 in his native town Casalmaggiore (near Mantua), consists of six each of symphonies and concertos. The chamber symphonies are modest compositions for string orchestra in a relatively simple and incisive musical style. The concertos, on the other hand, are certainly the more significant compositions of the collection. Here Zani puts all his talents to use, creating splendid compositions for violin and string orchestra in the solemn church style. • The present disc features five of these concertos. • Zani was certainly well acquainted with the style and compositions of Vivaldi and the latter's influence is unmistakeable in the musical language, structure and instrumental figures of Zani’s Op. 2. Here we find all the typical elements of solo violin virtuosity in the 18th century: scale progressions, arpeggios, frequent use of repeated chords, broken chords, double-stopping passages and the complete and frequent use of all five left hand positions currently in use at the time.

CD x 1

Pan Classics

9/28/11

7619990102545