Fabio Biondi, Europa Galante: Locatelli

The Strad Issue: September 2025

Description: No shortage of ability and drama in a Baroque byway

Musicians: Fabio Biondi (violin) Europa Galante

Works: Locatelli: Six Introduttioni teatrali op.4; Violin Concerto in A major

Catalogue number: NAÏVE V8210 

Locatelli’s six Introduttioni teatrali, essentially hybrids of the concerto grosso and emergent sinfonia, were probably composed as pre-performance entertainments at the Municipal Theatre in his adopted Amsterdam. Soli and tutti alternate, concerto grosso style, in their outer movements, but merge in their mostly sempre piano central ones. Europa Galante exploits the music’s contrasting dynamics to striking effect, creating pleasing, lightly transparent string textures that allow clear audibility of all parts, particularly in no.1’s central Allegro and no.3’s finale.

Tasteful and neatly executed extempore solo ornamentation, some varied reprises and the occasional addition of transitional passages to link movements add to the mix. More questionable are the group’s eccentric grinding almost to a halt to signal reprises, most tediously in no.1 and no.4’s opening Allegros and no.2’s Andante, and the seemingly superfluous organ transition concluding no.4’s Andante.

The Violin Concerto is a Locatelli attribution, based on stylistic and structural considerations and evidence provided in two manuscript sources. Fabio Biondi’s playing is sensitive, poetic and freely expansive in the aria-like central Largo and sparkles with articulate energy and technical agility in the fast movements, especially in the multi-sectional finale’s short capriccio and cadenza (notated in this case), dispatched with due aplomb. The recording is bright, vivid and ideally balanced.

ROBIN STOWELL