Rachel Barton Pine: Corelli: Violin Sonatas, Op. 5
Cedille Records

Rachel Barton Pine's recording of the twelve violin sonatas by Italian Baroque composer Arcangelo Corelli (1653-1713) was destined to happen, given her historical association with the composer and the impact of his material on her development. Her first encounter with his music occurred when her childhood violin touring group performed his Concerto Grosso No. 8, and at key moments thereafter her connection to Corelli strengthened; she notes, for example, that the first baroque piece she studied with John Mark Rozendaal, one of two Chicago-based period instrument performers she sought out, was a Corelli sonata. Accompanying Pine, Rozendaal (violoncello, viola da gamba) plays on the double-CD set, as do David Schrader (organ, harpsichord) and Brandon Acker (theorbo, archlute, baroque guitar). Her partners regularly alternate between instruments, and Pine switches things up too on the concluding sonata by playing an original-condition Gagliano viola d'amore that, interestingly, was made from the same tree as her original-condition Gagliano violin.

In addition to performing, Rozendaal also contributed illuminating program notes to the two-hour release that offer historical context plus details about the composer's life and reputation. Of the six books that essentially constitute Corelli's entire output, four contain trio sonatas (scored for two violins and bass instruments) and the sixth concerti grossi for string orchestra. The book performed by Pine and company is the fifth, which appeared in 1700 and presents in its first part six church and in its second six chamber sonatas. The set culminates with the glorious “Follia,” whose gripping variations last, fittingly, a dozen minutes. As realized magnificently by Pine, Corelli's violin sonatas show why, as per Rozendaal's contention, “his works have been essential repertoire and study material for violinists of all generations.”

Rozendaal also correctly draws attention to one of the more pleasing aspects of the music, specifically the constant to-and-fro between the instruments. Rather than acting as a static foundation for the violinist, the partnering instruments maintain an ongoing dialogue with it and thereby infuse the music with a momentum and propulsion it might lack otherwise. That constantly evolving dimension makes for contrapuntal performances that constantly sparkle. Adding to that stimulating approach are the changes in instrumentation that happen throughout; said contrasts don't occur, incidentally, from one sonata to the next but from each movement to the next. It's not uncommon, for instance, for these four- and five-part sonatas to feature a different instrumental grouping in each movement.

Pine's plaintive intro to the first sonata (in D major) immediately captivates, as do her graceful trills and phrasing; here we also encounter the first illustration of the conversational character of the material in the replies to the violin by cello and theorbo. Pine dances breezily through the allegros, the authority of her attack and clarity of expression always clear. While her execution of the high-velocity passages is unerring, there's nothing robotic about the playing; one senses the presence of the human being behind the instrument when each performance is stamped with personality. At the same time, she imbues the slower movements with the kind of heartfelt sincerity that not only humanizes the performance but shows how material created over three hundred years remains capable of resonating today. That high level of performance stays in place for all twelve sonatas, regardless of contrasting changes in mood, tone, and tempo that arise.

In these always incisive interpretations, she shows herself as adept at wringing maximum feeling from a stately adagio (the opening movement of the C minor third, for example) before dazzling with a light-speed allegro (e.g., the F major fourth's driving second movement or E major eleventh's second). Ear-catching moments are frequent—the G minor fifth's second “Vivace” resembles a folk romp when aggressive guitar strums are part of the arrangement, and the A major sixth's “Grave” and E minor eighth's “Preludio (Largo)” exude the ache of an Irish lament—but the recording more registers as a total statement. The “Follia” sonata naturally distances itself from the others in presenting a long-form alternative to the succinct movements preceding it and engages for how solidly the viola d'amore-wielding Pine sustains focus throughout its nine sections and many dizzying sequences.

Her career accomplishments are, of course, staggering. The Corelli set, her twenty-fourth recording for Cedille Records, shows she's as comfortable inhabiting Baroque and Romantic milieus as she is contemporary ones. The dedication she brings to every project is conveyed in this latest case by her total engagement with Corelli's material. Her fellow instrumentalists impress too for enriching the performances with their presences but not encroaching on her role as the lead soloist.

December 2024