L Arte Dell Arco - Antonio Vandini: Complete Works

Antonio Vandini was born around 1690 in Bologna, the city where the cello knew its first glories as a solo instrument. He held several assignments in Bergamo, Venice and later Padua, where he developed a friendship with Giovanni Tartini. His virtuosity was brought to fame by Charles Burney who defined him �the famous old Antonio Vandini on the violoncello who, the Italians say, plays and expresses a parlare, that is in such a manner as to make his instrument speak.� Vandini�s cello works are the apex of the instrument�s output of his time, for the persistent exploration of the high register, the frequent use of double stopping, arpeggios and chords even in unusual combinations, a variety of bowing techniques, and rapid passages. The works recorded on this release represent his complete output and are played by the specialist period ensemble L� Arte dell�Arco, as usual on period instruments, using the original under-hand bow technique invented by Vandini himself.