Vivaldi: Violin Concertos, Volume 09: Op. 6, Nos. 1-6; RV 335 "The Cuckoo" - Shlomo Mintz, Israel Chamber Orchestra

Vivaldi Op. 6 Coucou Liner Notes

Starting in 1711, Amsterdam publisher Estienne Roger had printed Vivaldi's Opus 2, 3 and 4 and had reprinted the Opus 1 in 1715. Vivaldi's celebrity as a composer was born and the whole operation had proved commercially successful. Jeanne Roger took over her father's printing presses and applied pressure on the Prete Rosso in Venice and other famous figures in Italy, to send her new Works for publication as soon as possible. At that time, Vivaldi was working simultaneously as an impresario, composing for the Sant'Angelo theater in Venice, teaching La Pietà and performing as a virtuoso. He sent six sonatas for one and two violins to his publisher, which appeared in 1716 as Opus 5, and two dozen concertos. The commercial publication of the latter would appear to have escaped the usually vigilant attention of Vivaldi. given the large number of mistakes and misprints which found their way into the edition available on the market. Jeanne Roger began by publishing an anthology collection in which Vivaldi's name was an attractive bait. She then launched 18 concertos in quick succession, divided into three books of six works; one book came under Opus 6, two under Opus 7. The clients' demand was satisfied insofar as the prototype of the Vivaldi concerto could be found in each work with regular alternation, i.e., five or six times, between tutti and soli, the whole built around three fast—slow-- fast movements.