Diamine Vivaldi — Ink Review #124

Diamine — Vivaldi

 

Ink Review # 124

 

Originally posted on FPN: Apr 24, 2024

 

Ink: Vivaldi
Series: Music.
Brand: Diamine
Country: United Kingdom
Availability: 30 ml bottles.
Pens Used: Pilot F3A (Japanese EF, semi-flex), Lamy Safari (EF, F, M, B, 1.1)

Description

Thanks to @Lithium466 for the sample. This review is in three parts. Feel free to jump to your preferred section.

In a nutshell: a gorgeous dark purple that is almost black with EF nibs. It doesn’t appreciate cheap paper. It’s wet and well lubricated. It’s a Diamine.

What’s in a name?

It comprises three Baroque composers: Bach, Vivaldi and Handel; two Classical-era composers: Mozart and Beethoven (poor Haydn was apparently cancelled); and five Romantic composers: Schubert, Chopin, Wagner, Tchaikovsky and Strauss.

Technically, you could argue that Schubert is an early Romantic composer and Tchaikovsky a late Romantic composer. Then there is Strauss, whom I assume is Richard rather than one of the Johann Strausses.

I don’t understand the logic behind the names. Diamine could have chosen some fabulous English composers. Granted, they would mostly be from the Renaissance and Baroque periods, followed by a jump to later periods: Byrd, Tallis, Dowland, Hume, Purcell, Sullivan, Elgar, Delius, Vaughan Williams, Britten, etc. Or they could have chosen one composer from each European country. This is just a mishmash of composers with no rhyme or reason.

Vivaldi’s micro-bio and music (1678–1741)

Now a little about Antonio Vivaldi.

Vivaldi was one of the pillars of the Baroque era and helped shape the concerto form. He taught and directed music at the Ospedale della Pietà, an institution for orphaned and abandoned girls in Venice. Bach admired his music and transcribed several of his concertos for keyboard. Vivaldi died in poverty, and much of his work fell into obscurity until its rediscovery in the early twentieth century. He composed around 500 concertos, about 50 operas, sacred music, and much more.

His nickname was Il Prete Rosso, the Red Priest. He was ordained as a priest, and the nickname referred to his red hair.

The Four Seasons, his best-known work, is full of fiery tempos and dramatic contrasts, quite unlike the colour of this ink:

Or try his lovely lute and mandolin concertos. Here is the slow movement from his Lute Concerto in D major, RV 93:

Or, if you’re an opera fan and have three hours or so to spare, try * Priest. He was ordained asOrlando furioso*. Don’t ask me to explain the story; it’s a medieval fantasy:

Ink review:

Now for the ink. Again, I don’t understand why anyone would choose this dark purple for Vivaldi, given his reddish hair, his nickname the Red Priest, and his passionate music. This is not an ink for a Vivaldi lover. 

Chroma

 

Writing Samples

I used a Pilot F3A for the Japanese EF and is it semi-flexible, I flexed it at the end to give you an idea of "flex".

Rhodia

Midori

Tomoe River 68 gsm

Hammermill 20 lb

Photo

Comparison

Water Test

Decent water resistance. 

Artwork

Vivaldi in Venice

De Atramentis Artist Orange, Octopus Write and Draw Merkat Grey

Ink Characteristics

·      What I liked: Colour, Doing washes.
·      What I did not like: Name didn’t correspond to the fieriness of composer nor his music
·      What some might not like: It doesn’t like copy paper.
·      Shading: Only with wide nib.
·      Ghosting: Yes, on cheap paper.
·      Bleed through: Yes, on cheap paper.
·      Flow Rate: Wet
·      Lubrication: Well lubricated.
·      Nib Dry-out: Did not notice.
·      Start-up: Ok
·      Saturation: Dark
·      Shading Potential: Not so much.
·      Sheen: No.
·      Spread / Feathering / Woolly Line: Did not notice.
·      Nib Creep / “Crud”: Did not notice.
·      Staining (pen): Did not notice.
·      Clogging: Did not notice.
·      Cleaning: Easy. Though as a purple ink it might stain
·      Water resistance: Not bad.

Please don't hesitate to share your experience, writing samples, or any other comments. The more the merrier. 😊