Did you know that VIVALDI'S Violin Concerto "IL GROSSO MOGUL" was possibly named after a famous DIAMOND?
The title “Il Grosso Mogul” for Vivaldi’s Violin Concerto RV208 was not used by the composer but added to a later edition. The title also appears on a transcription by Bach of the same work for organ. Could it be that this concerto is connected with the remarkable “Great Mogul” diamond, one of the largest in the world, which was discovered in 1650 in the Golcondo mines in India? Jean-Baptiste Tavernier, a 17th century French jewel trader, was one of the first Europeans allowed to see the gems of the great Mogul Emperor of India, Aurangzeb, while on a visit to Delhi in 1665. Before it was polished, the huge rough diamond weighed 787½ carats. Legend has it that the cutting of the Great Mogul was assigned to a Venetian, Hortensio Borgio, who produced a rose-cut diamond, the shape of half a pigeon's egg and weighing only 279 carats. As a consequence he was fined 10,000 rupees for having polished away so much of the original gem. Since then, the existence of the Great Mogul has been cloaked in mystery. It could have been stolen and broken into two or more stones, to escape detection. Another theory suggests that it is actually the famous stone given to Catherine the Great by her lover, Count Orlov. She named it the Orlov, and in 1784 had an Imperial Sceptre designed with the stone set at the top. Or did Mr. Borgio, the unaccomplished cutter himself, bring the celebrated diamond back to Venice?
Speculation about the diamond aside, Vivaldi’s Concerto for Violin, "Il grosso mogul" is clearly a gem of a work sparkling with virtuosity and brilliance. Don’t miss Andrea Zanchetta’s performance of this concerto in the CCOHK’s upcoming Baroque Concertos 2 concert!
