Viotti's Penultimate Parisian Concerto. Another minor key concerto, this time E minor. In fact the last 4 Parisian Concertos are in minor keys. The middle to late Parisian Concertos are written in a less Romantic style than his London Concertos, but still express a serious and dramatic mood not too unlike Beethoven. Baillot reported that the opening tutti of this concerto was applauded like a Haydn symphony; the occasion was a 1792 performance by Rode at the opening of Viotti's New Theatre. This middle period masterpiece has a contrasting major key second movement which recalls the gallant style. After an 1810 performance by Baillot, the "Tablettes de Polmnie" reported "This concerto seems to picture a lover in despair, betrayed or abandoned by the one he adores; the emotions that he feels are not only those of disordered senses and vehement fury; the greatest sadness has moments of calm in which the soul is carried back to past joys with a gentle melancholy: These moments are well expressed by the song-like phrases of this concerto."

Left; there is a Full score edited by Chappell White published by A-R Editions, Inc. available in two volumes; n1 includes concertos 7 and 13 and the second volume has concertos 18 and 27. A Violin and Piano reduction can also be downloaded from IMSLP. Right, the Swiss Violinist Dorothea Sessler records Viotti's Concertos 18 and 13 with Ostschweizer Kammerorchester conducted by Urs Schneider. These were issued in 1980 in Germany on a Jecklin 195 Stereo/mono LP numbered DP-J-195

Viotti Concerto n.19 in G minor W19/G91 (duration 31'26")

 
G.B. Viotti (1755-1824), the Father of the French School (and thus the Father Modern Violin Playing), wrote 29 Violin Concertos. This is the last of his Parisian Concertos (1-19) composed in rapid succession and this one was definitely composed in 1791. Although Concertos 1-18 contain 2 oboes 2 horns and strings, in the second movement, the "Adagio non troppo" of n.19, Viotti introduced Clarinets and Flutes for the first time to produce a richer harmonic timbre. The sensational introduction to this concerto was written on an entirely new, grand scale (sample). The public would sometimes break into applause on hearing these symphonic introductions. The classic stamp of this piece and indeed the French Violin School in general unites virtuoso technique with singing tone. However the late Paris concertos were soon considered representative of an older style. A documented fact reveals that Viotti made revisions to this Concerto in 1818 shortening it drastically, removing daring tonal juxtapositions and bringing it into conformity with symphonic conventions of the 1780s. Thus concerto 19 became less Romantic and more Classical. 

The definitive CD to get is CPO 999 324-2 played by Rainer Kussmaul and the Deutsche Kammerakademie Neuss, conducted by Johannes Goritzki. The sheet music is Edition Nationale 5308 publ. by Senart and is available here as a pdf file from the IMSLP page on Viotti.

Viotti Concerto n.20 in D major W20/G92 (dur. 21'05")

G.B. Viotti (1755-1824) wrote his first "London Concerto" (numbers 20-29) 1792 after he fled to London in July that same year. Though written in the 1790s some of the London Concertos were not published until around 1806, after which (on average) they remained in Print for about another 10 years. Viotti now includes Bassoons and Timpani in his orchestration. Viotti, star pupil of Pugnani, himself one of the foremost Violinists in Europe, was born in Italy near Vercelli, and helped export the Italian "Bel Canto" style to France. Tartini's credo "to play well one must sing well" was certainly one Viotti ascribed to in full. Concerto number 20 is not one of the better known Concertos. I include it in my list because my Russian teacher said to me one day "we have come to the stage where we cannot proceed without learning a Viotti Concerto... no-one gets by without learning a Viotti Concerto...." and so we strolled down to the shop and found Peters Edition of Concerto number 20. "This one will do!" exclaimed my teacher, and so it was that I learnt it!". In 1799 when it was first published on the Continent by Pleyel, Concerto n20 was given an enthusiastic review by Allgemeine musikalische Zeitung, "it is written in a manner which shows up the skill of the performer. The final movement is full of feeling, and has some brilliant passages very deftly woven into it."

I wish to emphasise Viotti's contribution to excellence in bowing technique: It was Viotti, who in the 1780s, collaborated with Tourte on the finalization of the design of the modern bow. In fact, Viotti suggested (we could therefore say invented) the ferrule (which keeps the bow hair flat) to Tourte. Viotti's innovation to Violin playing was certainly due to the new broad and powerful tone he played with, thanks also to his extensive collaboration with Francois Tourte, now known as the "Stradivari" of bow makers. Of course, Viotti also owned and played a Stradivarius!
 

Kreutzer Concerto n.18 in E minor (dur. 28'50")

    
Kreutzer was born and lived his life in France, but he was of German parentage. Kreutzer, after hearing Viotti in Paris, commented that the latter's playing was a "revelation". This classic Viotti style Concerto (modelled on Viott's Paris Concertos), highly representative of the French Violin School, was Kreutzer's penultimate (he wrote 19), written around 1806 (1810 Kolneder p.423). It is a typical model of the French violin concerto. Kreutzer's 3 last Concertos, considered his best, were highly popular during the first half of the 19th Century. Smooth string changing and on-the-string legato playing are the main technical requirements needed to master this concerto. Trills also feature as in Kreutzer's etudes. Kreutzer's violin writing (and playing) rarely left the string. He was adept and well schooled in the French legato style, crossing strings with perfection, and producing an even singing tone. Kreutzer's etudes or studies are excellent preparation for this, and indeed all other concertos. The first movement begins moderato; a dramatic forceful statement is answered quietly (Audio Sample), and after a substantial introduction the violin enters dolce (excerpt). Kreutzer explores many keys: A sizeable middle section is written entirely in E flat major! The second movement features a minor-major-minor mode lyrical Adagio, and the finale a heroic Rondo in E major, with a C major middle section.

The sheet music is/was published by Peters Edition Nr. 1091c edited by Hermann. Some minor refinements and modifications to fingerings and bowings are required. This can be downloaded here. The recordings below are fair, but neither completely conveys the grace and subtleties of French Violin School with regards bowing. Luckily, both are very secure with regards left hand technique and accuracy of intonation. The two recent CD recordings by German Violinists which have been published are Naxos 8.570380 played by Axel Strauss, which is the purer. It includes Concertos 17, 18 and 19. Next, CPO 777 188-2 played by Laurent Albrecht Breuninger is very accomplished playing but with off-string effects not entirely in the French manner.