Concertos

With his album "Concertos" the charismatic mandolinist Avi Avital fulfills a dream and collaborates with the renowned ensemble for historical instruments "Il Giardino Armonico" and its conductor and founder Giovanni Antonini. Together they interpret three concertos for mandolin by Emanuele Barbella, Giovanni Paisiello and Johann Nepomuk Hummel, as well as Avital's own arrangements of concertos by J. S. Bach and Vivaldi. Of the three original works for mandolin, two are from Naples. Neapolitan culture is full of color, emotion and theatricality; qualities that are reflected in Avital's performance. Avital describes his arrangement of J. S. Bach's well-known Concerto for Violin and Oboe, BWV 1060R as a lighter and brighter version for mandolin and recorder. In Avital’s version, his fellow soloist is Giovanni Antonini himself. And Avital has long had clear ideas about the performance of his favorite Vivaldi work, the Concerto in B minor for four violins, RV 580. With multitrack recordings, Avital himself could interpret all four violin parts himself, on four different mandolins and two mandolas. As a result, each voice takes on a different color and specific character. "I'm proud of the result," Avital says. "You think you're in a live performance, as if there are soloists communicating with each other." In Avital's hands, the mandolin is finding anew its rightful place in classical music.

Tracklist:

ANTONIO VIVALDI (1678–1741)
Concerto for 4 Mandolins, Strings and Basso continuo in B minor after “L’estro armonico” op. 3 no. 10 / RV 580 for four violins
All four solo parts played by Avi Avital
1. Allegro 
2. Largo – Larghetto – Adagio – Largo 
3. Allegro 
 
JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH (1685–1750)
Concerto for Mandolin, Recorder, Strings and Basso continuo in D minor after BWV 1060R in C minor for violin and oboe
1. Allegro 
2. Adagio 
3. Allegro 
 
EMANUELE BARBELLA (1718–1777)
Concerto for Mandolin, Strings and Basso continuo in D major
1. Allegro 
2. Andantino 
3. Giga. Allegro 
 
attr. GIOVANNI PAISIELLO (1740–1816)
Concerto for Mandolin, Strings and Basso continuo in E flat major
1. Allegro moderato 
2. Larghetto grazioso 
3. Giga. Allegro 
 
JOHANN NEPOMUK HUMMEL (1778–1837)
Concerto for Mandolin and Orchestra in G major
1. Allegro moderato e grazioso 
2. Andante con variazioni 
3. Rondo 
 
Avi Avital, mandolin
Il Giardino Armonico
Giovanni Antonini recorder & conductor

Adaptations for mandolin by Avi Avital