One might well wonder how a devil came to be in All Saints Anglican Church, East St Kilda. Mercifully, in this instance, the devil was benign: a fiendish trill from the eponymously named “Devil’s Trill Sonata” by Tartini, one of five Baroque works performed by Accademia Arcadia (Arcadia) in All Saints’ 2024 concert series.
Arcadia, founded in 2001 by pianist and musicologist, Dr Jacqueline Ogeil, is a highly original, award-winning Baroque ensemble. For this program, Arcadia comprised Ogeil, visiting Italian violinist, Davide Monti, and local cellist, Josephine Vains – the same combination that released an award-winning CD of this program in 2017.
All Saints’ organist, John O’Donnell, introduced the concert, pleased that Monti, a regular performer at Woodend Arts Festival before the pandemic, was finally back in Melbourne. Monti is known for his charismatic presence and extraordinary technique – reportedly influenced by his passion for fencing – and this program promised to be the perfect platform.
O’Donnell made special mention of the piano, a rare replica of the last instrument made by Italian master craftsman, Bartolomeo Cristofori, almost 300 years ago.
With Ogeil’s impeccable, sensitive playing, the piano – though the softest of the three instruments in this ensemble – provided unfailing stability and a beautiful tone throughout the concert.
Monti is renowned for his extreme improvisatory skill and the performers looked excited, as if wondering happily where the music would take them. The program opened with Vivaldi’s Sonata in D major (RV 10). It was a magical start, the ensemble’s zest instantly capturing audience attention, and Monti’s imagination bringing Vivaldi’s music to life. The warm resonance of Vains’ cello provided the perfect support for the full but gentle tones of this remarkable piano and Monti’s silky Guadagnini violin.
The second item was Guiseppe Tartini’s Sonata in B minor for violin without bass. Monti explained that Tartini’s manuscript includes a bass staff, left blank. Tartini gave no explanation for this, leaving successive generations wondering whether Tartini intended to complete it himself, set it for students, or leave the solo line unadorned. In this performance, Monti first played the solo line of the first movement unadorned, giving free reign to Tartini’s flowing melody line, and then added his own bass accompaniment in the repeat, giving this second rendition harmonic depth. The second movement was fast-paced but delicate. A blemish in no way detracted from the impact, with the final movement, a gigue, bringing this charming piece to a gracious conclusion.
In Scarlatti’s Sonata in D minor (K90), the interplay between the soloist and basso continuo was constantly fascinating. The sonata begins with a fetching, bird-like melody full of flighty snippets, which Arcadia exploited to the full, creating the impression that the music could take off in another direction at any moment. There were moments of high energy, such as the jumpy unison passages in the fast second movement, and a delightfully lilting gigue.
Tartini’s “Il Trillo del Diavolo” sonata was apparently inspired by a dream in which the devil played, with consummate skill, a sonata so beautiful it was beyond Tartini’s boldest flights of fancy. Tartini promptly woke and attempted to transcribe it. While regarding this sonata as by far his finest work, he nevertheless felt it paled in comparison with the music played to him in his dream.
Arcadia’s performance of this notoriously challenging work was full of colour. The solo part was thrilling in its own right, and the close rapport between the players added to the excitement as the basso continuo unfailingly kept pace with Monti’s dynamic playing.
Corelli’s Sonata in D minor “La Folia” provides 23 variations on an age-old theme. Monti’s improvisatory brilliance was evident from the outset; his embellishments were always graceful and, while technically exciting, never distracted from the flow of the music. Vains’ exceptional technique became increasingly apparent as this performance progressed, with the final variation providing an exuberant finish to a very satisfying program in the beautiful All Saints Church.
Photo supplied.
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Sue Kaufmann attended Accademia Arcadia’s performance of “Il Diavolo” at All Saints Anglican Church, East St Kilda on November 24, 2024.
