Viotti: Violin Concert No. 22 & Cherubini: Symphony in D Major

Giovanni Battista Viotti was a man of humble origins who studied with Gaetano Pugnani in the tradition of the Corelli school. By the age of 20 he was already an esteemed violinist, performing concerts in Geneva, Bern, Berlin and Saint Petersburg, and he eventually chose to settle in Paris. Composer: Giovanni Battista Viotti & Luigi Cherubini Artists: Massimo Quarta, Nuova Orchestra & Massimo Belli 🎵 Purchase or streaming (Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, YouTube Music): 💎 More Information: 🎬🎮 These tracks are available for sync licensing in videos, films, tv-shows, games, advertising and more. For more information and to request a license go to: However, as a court musician for Marie Antoniette, he was forced to flee to London in 1792, where, a short while later, he was accused of spying on behalf of the Jacobins. He returned to Paris and was celebrated during the Restoration period, but eventually came back to London, where he died in poverty. Compositionally he serves as a bridge between the Classical period and the first signs of Romanticism, and he wrote an impressive 29 concertos for his own instrument, the violin. The 22nd, in A minor, shows his renowned compositional intelligence at its peak. Brahms, by no means known for the generosity of his opinions, wrote in a letter to Clara Schumann: “This concerto… is a magnificent piece, of remarkable freedom in its invention; it sounds as if [Viotti] were fantasising, and everything is masterfully conceived and executed”. The work is divided into three movements: the first of these, an Allegro moderato, abandons the tradition of an energetic and virtuosic opening, and instead introduces a meditative, highly refined atmosphere. The cantabile violin theme soon evolves into a flourish that pre-empts the subsequent bright and complex dramatic beauty of the cadenza. Only the third movement, Agitato assai, is Classical in its inspiration, featuring a nimble dialogue between soloist and orchestra, albeit with strong contrapuntal hints, while the vibrant central Adagio’s echoes of Mozart are pulled in the direction of pre-Romantic angst. Luigi Maria Cherubini, perhaps best known today for his monumental Requiem, like Viotti suffered the consequences of being culturally close to an overthrown ancien règime, in his case that of Napoleon. The arrival of King Louis XVIII gave him respite, and indeed he became one of France’s greatest musicians, despite his Italian origins. His Symphony in D major’s four movements convey that “dual compositional nationality” right from the initial Moderato, straying at times into pomposity but with plenty of moments of progressive expressive intimacy. Cherubini was admired by Haydn, and even by the moody Beethoven, who appreciated the “dramaticism” of his work. The coupling on this album reflects a real-life acquaintance: Cherubini directed a theatre in Paris with Viotti for a period. The two were also both initiated into French masonic orders, joining the ranks of many other freemason musicians from Haydn and Mozart to Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong. Both men were significant figures in the history of music, producing a wealth of content and materials yet to be fully explored. Tracklist: 00:00:00 Giovanni Battista Viotti: Violin Concerto No. 22 in A Minor, : I. Moderato 00:15:57 Giovanni Battista Viotti: Violin Concerto No. 22 in A Minor, : II. Adagio 00:22:43 Giovanni Battista Viotti: Violin Concerto No. 22 in A Minor, : III. Agitato assai 00:31:06 Luigi Cherubini: Symphony in D Major: I. Largo – Allegro 00:44:30 Luigi Cherubini: Symphony in D Major: II. Larghetto cantabile 00:54:51 Luigi Cherubini: Symphony in D Major: III. Minuetto (Allegro non tanto) – Trio 00:59:49 Luigi Cherubini: Symphony in D Major: IV. Allegro assai 👉 Social media links: Instagram: Facebook: TikTok: Spotify Playlists: Brilliant Classics Spotify: New Classical Releases: The Best of Liszt: The Best of Bach: Most Popular Piano Music: Thank you for watching this video by Brilliant Classics, we hope you enjoyed it! Don’t forget to share it and subscribe to our YouTube channel. And visit our channel for other pieces by composer and more of the greatest composers. #brilliantclassics #classicalmusic #music #classical #violin #symphony #viotti #cherubini #concerto