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Vivaldi Piccolo Concertos

Antonio Vivaldi composer

Jennifer Bouton piccolo

Jory Vinikour harpsichord
Ilana Setapen violin
John Bian violin
Alejandro Duque viola
Susan Babini cello
Andrew Raciti bass

Release Date: May 10, 2024
Catalog #: NV6618
Format: Digital
Baroque
Concertos
Orchestra
Piccolo

Jennifer Bouton’s VIVALDI PICCOLO CONCERTOS is the first complete recording of the concerti by an American piccoloist. Bouton possesses a mastery over these works, having performed the most famous and beloved C Major concerto (RV 443) numerous times, notably with the Milwaukee Symphony and Nicholas McGegan in 2023.

In recording the complete set of works for sopranino/flautino on the modern piccolo, Bouton aims to expand the standard canon of solo piccolo repertoire, and encourage modern performers to investigate the possibilities of ornamentation that live in each of these sparkling compositions. Expressive, light hearted, technically elaborate, and strikingly beautiful, this collection of works is a stunning showcase of Vivaldi’s colorful concerti, concluding with an exhilarating performance of Paganini’s Caprice No. 11 in C Major to round out the program.

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Track Listing & Credits

# Title Composer Performer
01 Concerto in C major, RV 443: I. Allegro Antonio Vivaldi Jennifer Bouton, piccolo; Jory Vinikour, harpsichord; Ilana Setapen, violin; John Bian, violin; Alejandro Duque, viola; Susan Babini, cello; Andrew Raciti, bass 4:20
02 Concerto in C major, RV 443: II. Largo Antonio Vivaldi Jennifer Bouton, piccolo; Jory Vinikour, harpsichord; Ilana Setapen, violin; John Bian, violin; Alejandro Duque, viola; Susan Babini, cello; Andrew Raciti, bass 4:41
03 Concerto in C major, RV 443: III. Allegro molto Antonio Vivaldi Jennifer Bouton, piccolo; Jory Vinikour, harpsichord; Ilana Setapen, violin; John Bian, violin; Alejandro Duque, viola; Susan Babini, cello; Andrew Raciti, bass 3:03
04 Concerto in C major, RV 444: I. Allegro non molto Antonio Vivaldi Jennifer Bouton, piccolo; Jory Vinikour, harpsichord; Ilana Setapen, violin; John Bian, violin; Alejandro Duque, viola; Susan Babini, cello; Andrew Raciti, bass 4:54
05 Concerto in C major, RV 444: II. Largo Antonio Vivaldi Jennifer Bouton, piccolo; Jory Vinikour, harpsichord; Ilana Setapen, violin; John Bian, violin; Alejandro Duque, viola; Susan Babini, cello; Andrew Raciti, bass 2:39
06 Concerto in C major, RV 444: III. Allegro molto Antonio Vivaldi Jennifer Bouton, piccolo; Jory Vinikour, harpsichord; Ilana Setapen, violin; John Bian, violin; Alejandro Duque, viola; Susan Babini, cello; Andrew Raciti, bass 3:07
07 Concerto in A minor, RV 445: I. Allegro Antonio Vivaldi Jennifer Bouton, piccolo; Jory Vinikour, harpsichord; Ilana Setapen, violin; John Bian, violin; Alejandro Duque, viola; Susan Babini, cello; Andrew Raciti, bass 5:00
08 Concerto in A minor, RV 445: II. Larghetto Antonio Vivaldi Jennifer Bouton, piccolo; Jory Vinikour, harpsichord; Ilana Setapen, violin; John Bian, violin; Alejandro Duque, viola; Susan Babini, cello; Andrew Raciti, bass 3:29
09 Concerto in A minor, RV 445: III. Allegro Antonio Vivaldi Jennifer Bouton, piccolo; Jory Vinikour, harpsichord; Ilana Setapen, violin; John Bian, violin; Alejandro Duque, viola; Susan Babini, cello; Andrew Raciti, bass 3:35
10 24 Caprices: Caprice No. 11 in C Major Niccoló Paganini Jennifer Bouton, piccolo 4:55

Recorded August 27-28, 2023 at Bradley Symphony Center in Milwaukee WI
Recording Session Producer, Engineer, Editing, Mixing & Mastering Jeremy Tusz

Cover Photo Jennifer Brindley

Executive Producer Bob Lord

VP of A&R Brandon MacNeil
A&R Chris Robinson

VP of Production Jan Košulič
Audio Director Lucas Paquette

VP, Design & Marketing Brett Picknell
Art Director Ryan Harrison
Design Edward A. Fleming
Publicity Chelsea Kornago

Artist Information

Jennifer Bouton

Piccoloist

Jennifer Bouton has performed around the world as a guest artist, clinician, and orchestral musician. A member of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra since 2011, she performed two seasons with Lyric Opera of Chicago, and has played guest roles with the Chicago Symphony and Detroit Symphony Orchestras, among others. In 2019 she won an extended appointment with the Australian Ballet and Australian Opera in Melbourne, and was invited to become a permanent member of Orchestra Victoria.

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Jory Vinikour

harpsichordist

Recognized as one of the outstanding harpsichordists of his generation, Jory Vinikour has cultivated a highly-diversified career that takes him to the world’s most important festivals, concert halls, and opera houses as recitalist and concerto soloist, partner to many of today’s finest instrumental and vocal artists, coaches, and conductors. First Prizes in the International Harpsichord Competitions of Warsaw (1993) and the Prague Spring Festival (1994) brought him to the public’s attention, and he has since appeared in festivals and concert series throughout much of the world.

His recording of Bach’s Goldberg Variations, released on Delos International in 2001, received excellent reviews throughout the world. John von Rhein of the Chicago Tribune named it as one of 2001’s Top Ten Classical CDs, an honor that was also accorded to Jory’s recording of Bach’s Toccatas in 1999. His 2009 Delos release of Händel’s 1720 Suites for Harpsichord has received wide critical acclaim, American Record Guide naming it the finest recording of these works. His debut recording for Sono Luminus, the Complete Harpsichord Works of Jean-Philippe Rameau, was nominated for a 2012 Grammy® award in the category of Best Classical Solo Instrumental Recording. Vinikour received a second Grammy® nomination for his Sono Luminous disc Toccatas.

Recent conducting engagements include appearances with OperaNEO (San Diego), Orchestre National de Bretagne, Seattle Symphony, St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, Karlsruhe Handel Festival, and more. In March 2018, Vinikour made his much-anticipated debut with The Cleveland Orchestra as a harpsichord soloist in performances of Francis Poulenc’s Concert champêtre, of which work he is a noted champion, and which he has performed with noted orchestras, such as Rotterdam Philharmonic, Netherland Radio Orchestra, and Orchestra Philharmonique de Radio France. Vinikour has performed all over the United States with violinist Rachel Barton Pine, with whom he has recorded the six sonatas for violin and harpsichord obbligato for Cedille Records.

Susan Babini

cellist

Susan Babini currently serves as Principal Cello of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra where she is regularly featured as soloist. As an educator, Babini has taught at Northwestern University, National Youth Orchestra, as well as teaching at Brevard Music Center and Interlochen Center for the Arts. In addition to her orchestral position, Susan enjoys coaching chamber music in Milwaukee at the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music. Babini holds degrees from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and The Juilliard School.

John Bian

violinist

John Bian is Assistant Principal Second Violin in the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, and will be joining the Philadelphia Orchestra violin section in 2024. Bian also performs frequently with the Cleveland Orchestra, Minnesota Orchestra, St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, and Detroit Symphony Orchestra. In addition to his large ensemble career, Bian is also a passionate chamber musician, having studied with members of the Cleveland Quartet, Cavani Quartet, Calidore Quartet, and Muir Quartet. Bian holds degrees from Boston University, the Cleveland Institute of Music, and the University of Michigan. Teachers include Yuri Mazurkevich, William Preucil, David Halen, and Yoonshin Song.

Alejandro Duque

violist

Violist Alejandro Duque joined the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra in 2018 and is currently acting assistant principal. Previously, he performed with the Austin Symphony and various ensembles in the Texas area including the Kinetic Ensemble and Austin Camerata. He also received fellowships to numerous music festivals such as the Tanglewood Music Center, Aspen Music Festival, Music Academy of the West, and the New York String Orchestra Seminar. More recently, he has been a guest artist at the Sunset ChamberFest, Caroga Lake Music Festival, Lakes Area Music Festival, and with the Fine Arts Quartet. Duque received his Bachelor of Music degree at the University of Southern California under the mentorship of Donald McInnes and his Master of Music degree at UT Austin under Roger Myers and John Largess.

Andrew Raciti

bassist

Andrew Raciti is the Associate Principal Bass of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra. He is also the head of the double bass studio of the Bienen School of Music at Northwestern University. Before joining the Milwaukee Symphony in 2006, Raciti was Associate Principal Bass of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra in Australia. In the summers he performs as Principal and Tutti Bass at the Grand Teton Music Festival. Numerous solo performances include the United States premiere of the Concerto for Double Bass and String Orchestra by the Macedonian composer, Zivoin Glisic. A recognized authority in bass pedagogy and performance, Raciti has published various articles in the quarterly for the International Society of Bassists.

Ilana Setapen

violinist

Since her solo orchestral debut at age 15, Ilana Setapen has been flourishing as a violinist with a powerful and original voice. She is currently the First Associate Concertmaster of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra. She also held the Assistant Concertmaster position of the Grant Park Music Festival Orchestra in Chicago for 6 years, and is a favorite guest concertmaster with the Chicago Philharmonic. She has taught and performed at Olympic Music Festival on Bainbridge Island, Lakes Area Music Festival in Brainerd, Minnesota, Center Stage Strings at the University of Michigan, and the Luzerne Music Center summer festival in Lake Luzerne, New York. She was a student of Robert Lipsett both at the University of Southern California and at the Colburn Conservatory. She received her Master of Music Degree from the Juilliard School as a student of Donald Weilerstein and Ronald Copes.

Notes

Indisputably one of the most prolific composers ever, Vivaldi composed nearly 800 total works, the bulk of them instrumental concertos. His speed of production was staggering, even by modern, technology-assisted standards; during a single decade of his tenure as Music Director of the orphanage Ospedale della Pietà, he contributed 140 concerti, in addition to sacred, orchestral, and vocal works. Vivaldi wrote three flautino concertos for the young girls who performed in his orchestra at the orphanage during this timeframe, likely between 1720 and 1730. The manuscript specifies “flautino,” a term which during the Baroque era could have referred either to the sopranino recorder or the flagolet — a smaller version of the transverse flute, and an ancestor of the modern piccolo. Sequentially cataloged, these three concertos demonstrate Vivaldi’s genius in his range of color and harmonic invention.

— Jennifer Bouton

The most beloved concerto, and most frequently performed, this concerto’s simple outer movements frame one of the most gorgeous slow movements in the entire Baroque flute repertoire. Structurally more spare than the subsequent concertos, the opening allegro offers the soloist virtuosic clarity, and the opportunity for embellishment within the passagework. A miniature cadenza concludes a series of quick runs in the first movement, and hints at the expressive potential of what lies ahead. The central slow movement is the core of the work. The strings provide a pulsing heartbeat for the solo voice to float atop. Only 13 bars long, this movement contains a world of interpretive possibilities. Vivaldi’s original melody is angelic in its transparency, and each repeated half tempts the performer to hear what isn’t there, and make it real. Another allegro (molto this time!) concludes the work, and asks the soloist to do the work of two players, alternating high and low passagework in a fast paced argument with oneself.

— Jennifer Bouton

Sometimes referred to as the “Little C” (as opposed to the “Big C,” RV 443), this concerto has a reputation for lightness and has not gained the same popularity as its big sister. Nevertheless, its fun and carefree personality should not be confused with superficiality. The orchestra competes for prominence in the first movement, thundering through fast tutti passagework before the soloist enters. Like the Big C, the first movement includes a small opportunity for cadenza before the original theme (and energetic orchestra tuttis) returns. The second movement conjures the sound of a lute, with pizzicato strings creating a completely unexpected accompaniment for the piccolo. This movement is traditionally less of a vehicle for ornamentation than the Largo of RV443, but the spaces between the notes can be lured into new realms by an inquisitive soloist. The last movement of this concerto hints at the harmonic deviations of the third (A minor) concerto. In what seems like the closing section, Vivaldi shifts abruptly to C minor, before returning just as suddenly to C major, the final cadence tumbling wildly into the light.

— Jennifer Bouton

The least frequently performed of the set, the A minor concerto is elusive, the most technically elaborate, and stunningly beautiful. The first movement contains more rhythmic and harmonic diversity than the other two concertos combined. Its moderate opening develops into some of the most difficult passagework in the repertoire: a series of expanding triplets which are more idiomatic on the sopranino than the modern piccolo. A scenario where modernization comes at the performer’s expense! Like the Big C, the second movement of the A minor concerto is a lesson in subtlety. The lush string introduction gives way to a skeletal unison line, over which the piccolo glides like a single breath of wind. Unfolding in a continuous, unbroken phrase, the genius of this movement is hiding in plain sight; the solo voice tethered to our essential humanity, unchanged by the centuries. Driven by persistent continuo eighth notes and rising chromatic figures in the strings, Vivaldi’s final statement in this concerto is exuberant, belligerent, and unyielding. His solo line flirts with repose — offering opportunities for lyricism within the storm, and more thematic variety than the other concertos. But, as in the Four Seasons, the forces of nature prevail, and the storm sweeps everyone up to the finish.

— Jennifer Bouton

Paganini composed 24 Caprices for solo violin between 1802 and 1817, and they remain a measure of any virtuoso’s fortitude to this day. Originally transcribed for flute by Jules Herman and John Wummer, the technical challenges of Paganini’s showstopping compositions translate imprecisely to the flute, and have inspired several flutists to revise the original transcription. The virtuoso perspective is unique, and the liberties of adaptation invite invention…

I began learning the flute transcriptions of the Caprices many years ago, and considered mastering them to be a lifelong goal. Whenever there was a lull in the orchestral season, I would return to Paganini. Once my career started shifting in the direction of the piccolo, I imagined expanding the limited piccolo repertoire by approaching existing solo flute works with the same goals of sonority, intonation, brilliance, and musical relevance. I decided to record the 11th Caprice in the final days before the Vivaldi recording sessions, in the event that we had a few minutes left on the clock after wrapping the Vivaldi. My personal goal was to extend the train of thought from the Italian virtuosity of Vivaldi’s Concerti to Paganini, and to imagine where compositions for solo piccolo might lead, with the instrument being given a chance to plead and dance like the Devil’s violin.

— Jennifer Bouton

Vivaldi has written the world into these brief concertos, and I am so privileged to have been tasked with exploring them. 300 years later, Vivaldi’s concertos feel eternal and alive, like an old growth tree that buds every spring. I hope other piccoloists will desire, as I have, to tend the new growth, and bring the later concertos into regular performance.

The consideration and commitment of my Milwaukee Symphony colleagues was invaluable to realizing this project. I am so indebted to each of them for sharing their artistry with me. Jory Vinikour brought a style and depth of knowledge to this experience that can not be understated. Terrell Pierce helped facilitate the first artist produced recording in the Bradley Symphony Center, and in doing so created a template for MSO musicians to use our incredible space. Jeremy Tusz captured the sound of the piccolo with sensitivity and nuance, and supported me through the entire process with incredible patience. Mary Stolper’s encouragement, guidance, and mentorship freed me to believe.

To my family: your love is a constant that has been the basis for my life. It is an enormous gift to be able to play music — a gift first given to me by my parents, whose support allowed me to pursue this goal. Clay, this recording would not have been possible without you. Thank you for pushing me to do this and for being such an incredible partner and father. To Cecilia and Miriam — you are the thought behind every note I play.

— Jennifer Bouton

nv6618-notes-1

Recording session at Bradley Symphony Center