Vol.4 of Philips' Vivaldi series. Out of pring. La Stravaganza was printed by the same Amsterdam publisher, Estienne Roger, shortly after L'Estro Armonk°, probably in 1713. All but two of the concertos in this set are in a three-movement framework and all but one are for a solo violin. I am always particularly struck by the many fine qualities to be found in this set of concertos. Clearly they made an impact on those who heard them at the time as the following extract from Charles Burney's History of Music illustrates: "the most popular composer for the violin, as well as player on that instrument, during these times, was Don Antonio Vivaldi ... who between the year 1714 and 1737, published eleven different works for instruments . . . including his pieces called Stravaganze, which among flashy players, whose chief merit was rapid execution, occupied the highest place of favour. .. . If acute and rapid tones are evils, Vivaldi has much of the sin to answer for". There are no weak movements among these concertos which possess a brilliance, a tension and a motivation which cannot fail to stir the imagination. Among the most arresting of them are the two outer movements of the First Concerto and the slow movement of the last which, through its elegiac melody and palpitating accompaniment expresses a depth of feeling not often to be found in Italian concertos of the period. A similar mood is evoked by similar means in one of Judith's arias from Vivaldi's oratorio Juditha Triumphal's.
