Carlo Alezio Razetti: Concerto for violin in F minor
Carlo Alezio Razetti
Life dates unknown, violinist in Turin from 1727,
1763/64 he was succeeded by Pugnani
Date of composition:
unknown
CD recommendations:
Marco Pedrona 2009
Stefano Montenari 2012
Already the rhythmically striking beginning of this concerto makes one sit up and take notice, and then the unusual F minor key for a violin concerto of that time. Yet almost nothing is known
about the composer of this concerto, who is said to have led the second violins at the court of Turin, where the then famous violinist Giovanni Battista Somis also worked. A concert in honour of
all second violinists who want to show that they can play solo! However, little more is known about Carlo Alezio Razetti, one of the many who composed violin concertos in Italy in succession to
Vivaldi. Razetti's only surviving concerto, however, has something special about it that invites us to listen more closely.
But how do we know about this concerto? It owes its preservation and posthumous fame to the intuition of a music lover from Metz, Pierre Philibert de Blancheton (1697-1756), for whom the
copyist Charles Estien recopied all kinds of concertos, sonatas and symphonies composed around 1730. This collection, donated to the Paris Conservatoire, now belongs to the Bibliothèque Nationale
de France and is a source of another 50 violin concertos of the time that would otherwise have been forgotten. But let's listen more closely:
Listen here:
I. Allegro ma non presto
A syncopated rhythm in the string orchestra immediately attracts attention, the orchestral violins storm ahead and tell of passions, insisting again and again on this rhythmically unusual, almost somewhat aggressive opening motif. Three ritornelli frame the two figurative violin solos, which are probably played somewhat wildly, the central ritornello brings new thematic motifs, but finally the rhythmic opening motif marks its presence, impressing itself and insisting in F minor.
II. Grave
The short Grave movement, also in a minor key, this time it is C minor, advances persistently, the violin treading through darker regions, lamenting and wanting to be heard.
III. Allegro
But then the Allegro movement swings ahead as a gigue dance, also in this F minor-tinged mood, which also has something rebellious in it. It is still music for a princely court, but enlightened, thoughtful and inquiring music.