Since it's inception in 2001, the Vivaldi Edition has explored the fantastic diversity of the work of the Prete Rosso. Presented by Giulio Prandi's Coro e Orchestra Ghislieri, this seventy-second volume is once again dedicated to sacred music. Two exceptional works, the Dixit Dominus, RV 807 and the Magnificat, RV 611, here frame rare motets such as Sanctorum meritis, RV 620 and Vos invito, barbarae faces, RV 811. Preserved at the Saxon State Library, the Dixit Dominus belonged to a lot ordered from a Venetian publisher in the mid-1750s by the Saxon court which, threatened by the Prussian army, had been forced to flee Dresden for Warsaw. Illustrating the highly pictorial text of Dixit Dominus, Vivaldi favours a lively and sparkling aesthetic, full of figurations. For example, pairs of repeated sixteenth notes depict the gentle lapping of a stream (De torrente in via bibet) while the impressive final fugue embodies the majesty of Christian communion. Also forged in an ingenious and hushed counterpoint, the second motet of this programme, Confitebor tibi, Domine, presents three solo voices, something rare for Vivaldi. Hymn from the liturgy of the martyrs, Sanctorum meritis, RV 620 then introduces Vos invito, barbarae faces, whose text enjoins the believer to fight against the forces of evil. This program finally offers the final version of the Magnificat in G minor (RV 611) in which the Red Priest specifically dedicated to a few singers of the Ospedale della Pieta certain sections, radically transformed since the first version of the 1710s. This results in little less ensemble parts, and more arias for the soloists, almost a foretaste of Classicism. Faithful to his quest for clarity and joy that had been highlighted by moving recordings devoted to Jommelli and Rossini, Giulio Prandi, for this first collaboration with the na�ve label, glorifies the luminous, aristocratic sobriety of Vivaldi. Unexpected and invigorating. 25 July 2024

The group of concertos for bassoon by Antonio Vivaldi (Venice, 4 March 1678 - Vienna, 28 July 1741) is the largest such collection in terms of quantity after those for violin: no less than thirty-nine are in fact extant, and only two are incomplete. But beyond these details, "what is remarkable", as Cesare Fertonani recently wrote, "is Vivaldi's extraordinary understanding of the technical possibilities of the bassoon, reflected in his avant- garde treatment of the instrument which attains the complete and sumptuous dignity of a soloist, and his intuition probably unprecedented in the history of music of it's expressive potential." Paolo Carlini is the soloist of this selection of the most important concerts dedicated to the instrument by Vivaldi, flanked by the famous "Virtuosi Italiani" orchestra, directed by Alberto Martini as a violin concert maestro.

Volume 70 of the Vivaldi Edition revives a serenade by the “Red Priest” led with brio by Andrea Buccarella, his Abchordis Ensemble and a triad of vibrant soloists. In spite of the warning from her friend Nice, the nymph Eurilla is in love with the shepherd Alcindo, and, to punish him for his lack of enthusiasm, tries to trick him into loving her. The story is simple, the trio of characters borrowed from Arcadia and the playful tone, as befits this type of open-air cantata composed for political, dynastic or private celebrations. The Serenata a tre RV 690, under Vivaldi’s pen, nevertheless possesses all the qualities of an exquisitely polished miniature opera that is also light-hearted. Only three manuscripts have reached us today of the eight serenades we know Vivaldi composed. The Serenata a tre, preserved in the Turin library, the source used by the Vivaldi Edition for its publications, fired the enthusiasm of the conductor and harpsichordist Andrea Buccarella and a larger than usual Abchordis Ensemble.

This tenth volume of violin concertos marks the return of Julien Chauvin and his Concert de la Loge to the Vivaldi Edition, with works linked to Pisendel, a major musical figure in the court of Dresden in the 18th century. Julien Chauvin and his Concert de la Loge released a hugely successful volume of Vivaldi concertos with a theatrical theme in 2020. In this new album they perform works focusing on Johann Georg Pisendel (1687-1755), konzertmeister at the Dresden Court chapel, and pupil and friend of Vivaldi, who played a key role in the popularity of the Red Priest’s music in Dresden. It is thanks to the admiration and foresight of this eminent German violinist not only that the city possesses a considerable Vivaldi catalogue, but also that certain signed manuscripts were preserved that are to be found only in Dresden.

This album comprises three concertos composed for him (RV 237, RV 314 and RV 340) and three others copied by his hand (RV 225, RV 226 and RV 369). All the many contrasts which mark Vivaldi’s concerto repertoire – whatever the instrument –are magnified here under the supple bow of Julien Chauvin: his close bond with Le Concert de la Loge flourishes in a free, rich and diverse discourse, fiery and passionate in the external movements, and lyric or gently melancholic in the central parts. Worth mentioning among the many examples are the splendid elegiac song of the Adagio in concerto RV 237 or the delicate slow movements accompanied by the pizzicato of the strings in concertos RV 314 and RV 226.

And another exciting debut on MDG: Caterva musica has committed itself entirely to early music. What makes it special: Each member is a gifted soloist, but knows how to fit into the accompanying orchestra when needed. Five remarkable solo concertos of the 18th century show once the stupendous virtuosity of the individual, but also but also the harmonically colorfully coordinated ensemble performance of the top-class group.

It is the otherwise little-noticed instruments that stand out soloistically on this first set: Graun's Viola Concerto presents the viola both cantabile-sonorous and surprisingly virtuosic in the lively final movement; Johann Joachim Quantz's Horn Concerto is scored in the astonishing key of D-sharp major; Molter's Sinfonia gives the timpani, of all things, an almost concertante solo part – above which the trumpets blossom splendidly. The Cello Concerto by the today almost unknown Nicola Fiorenza effectively combines the Neapolitan stile antico with breakneck acrobatics. In doing so, Fiorenza blithely plays with the expectations of the audience, which gets its money's worth, not least with Vivaldi's Concerto for alto recorder with lively trills and fragrant garlands.

With Caterva musica, all of this comes across as immensely fresh and unspent, and the unbridled joy of music-making is immediately transferred to the listeners. The natural recording technique has its share in this: unfiltered and if necessary in 3D - so this baroque bouquet of flowers is delivered as a sounding business card with unclouded listening pleasure!

Vivaldi's "Four Seasons" is one of the greatest evergreens of all time. The sound painting of the Venetian violin virtuoso simply casts a spell over everyone. David Gorol and Theophil Heinke go one better: Their arrangement for violin and organ makes use of the richness of sound of the queen of instruments and adds a whole new dimension to Vivaldi's already broad palette. In addition, there is the A minor Concerto, which Bach had already transferred to the organ. The fact that a historical jewel, the famous Trost organ in Waltershausen, can also be heard in its original sound makes this brand-new Super Audio album a triple listening pleasure. Above all, Vivaldi's sound extremes are considerably expanded with the organ: it thunders and flashes in the summer thunderstorm, it's a joy; the horns blow cheerfully for the hunt, and at the latest when the birds warble in spring, one no longer wants to miss the flute stops of the listed instrument.

The adaptation is by no means trivial: the highly virtuosic violin part, which David Gorol presents on a modern instrument with somnambulistic certainty and a fine feeling for the drama of the score, remains untouched. In favor of a brilliant expression, a retuning to the historical pitch of the organ was dispensed with - a challenge for Heinke, who thus has to orchestrate in extremely unusual keys. As an encore, Gorol and Heinke also offer the distinctively arranged A minor Double Concerto. Here, the violin performs directly with the second soloists part played by the organ.

Bajazet was a work of Vivaldi's late maturity, a dramatic tale that recounts the capture of the Turkish sultan Bajazet by the all-conquering Tartar, Tamerlane. It is a pasticcio, a well-established form, in which Vivaldi incorporated arias by some of the greatest young composers of his time - Johann Adolf Hasse, Geminiano Giacomelli and Riccardo Broschi, brother to the famous castrato Farinelli - to form a generous buffet of musical fireworks. Still, Vivaldi's recitatives, choruses and arias form the backbone of the opera, and constitute the majority of the music, producing a work of kaleidoscopic invention.

Although he already has a rich stage and recording career behind him, this is Tim Mead’s first solo album. ‘Juxtaposing the sacred and secular aspects of Vivaldi’s work, this program explores the earthly passion of the divine and the heavenly beauty of love’, says the English countertenor. ‘When they are placed side by side, his highly individual approach reveals that these two worlds are closely intertwined, in music at once astonishing and highly virtuosic.’ With his partners from Arcangelo, directed by Jonathan Cohen, we hear him in the famous Nisi Dominus and the no less celebrated cantata Cessate, omai, cessate, alongside the Salve Regina RV618 and Amor, hai vinto.

Bajazet was a work of Vivaldi's late maturity, a dramatic tale that recounts the capture of the Turkish sultan Bajazet by the all-conquering Tartar, Tamerlane. It is a pasticcio, a well-established form, in which Vivaldi incorporated arias by some of the greatest young composers of his time - Johann Adolf Hasse, Geminiano Giacomelli and Riccardo Broschi, brother to the famous castrato Farinelli - to form a generous buffet of musical fireworks. Still, Vivaldi's recitatives, choruses and arias form the backbone of the opera, and constitute the majority of the music, producing a work of kaleidoscopic invention.

The master of Italian Baroque music is indisputably Antonio Vivaldi. Throughout his life, he composed hundreds of works, and is remembered perhaps second only to J.S. Bach, ranking as one of the most popular composers of all time. His oeuvre crosses an extraordinarily wide range, from instrumental compositions of all types to sacred cantatas and operatic works, a vast number of which are presented in this comprehensive box set. Vivaldi composed a large part of his works while working at the Ospedale della Pieta in Venice, where he was employed as a composer, teacher and violinist. The aim of the foundation was to provide an education and home for orphaned children. Vivaldi remained in the post on and off for over 30 years, and was under obligation to compose a new cantata for every feast day. His reputation, however, grew thanks to his instrumental skills rather than his compositions at first; as a violinist, he was known for his extraordinary cadenzas and virtuosic playing style. He became better known as a composer when Dutch publisher Etienne Roger brought out L'estro armonico in 1711, a hugely popular collection of 12 violin concertos, included on this release in full. J.S. Bach was particularly enthused by the manuscript, and his transcriptions for organ have gained popularity on their own merit - his version is also to be found in this edition, a fascinating point of comparison, and a testament to Vivaldi's reputation in his lifetime. During the 1720s and '30s, Vivaldi began to travel widely, while still sending compositions to the Pieta in Venice when required: despite being unable to teach, he was clearly still a major asset, as he was asked to send two concertos a month by post, adding up to over 140 in his absence. His operatic works grew vastly in number, and he began working closely with soprano Anna Giro, who was rumoured to be his mistress. Vivaldi died in Vienna, and, incredibly for such a famous and wealthy man, was given a pauper's burial. His last few months in Vienna had been frustratingly lacking in work, as concert houses were closed to mourn the death of Charles VI; however, his last opera was eventually staged posthumously there in 1742. Vivaldi was a divisive figure during his lifetime, well known for being vain and conceited. His vanity, though, is certainly deserved; we are left with the overwhelming evidence. More than 50 operas (21 of which survive), 500 concertos and 90 sonatas are no mean feat for a man who by all accounts was also a superb teacher and virtuosic violinist. This release draws attention to the diversity of his oeuvre, starting with his instrumental music and moving on to feature his sacred cantatas and operas. It is the most comprehensive edition of Vivaldi's music yet, bringing together 66 CDs showcasing hundreds of different performers and ensembles, many of them performing on period instruments as they strive to recreate the sound of the composer's timbre through their research-led contemporaneous playing styles. Brilliant Classics is proud to offer a new release to add to it's growing collection of authoritative composer editions. This box set is excellent value for money, at only �65 for an astonishing 66 CDs' worth of music, interpreted by some of Baroque music's most celebrated artists today. An excellent gift idea for any lover of Baroque, it spans the length of Vivaldi's illustrious career, and celebrates the best of his innovative and beautiful music. Other information: A new, extended, improved and upgraded Vivaldi Edition on Brilliant Classics! A feast of Historically Informed Performances by leading soloists and ensembles, this new Edition offers the best of today's Vivaldi playing! 66 CDs brimming with vitality, passion, instrumental brilliance and Italian sunshine, as played by mostly Italian forces (yes, they do know the secret of their "red priest" Antonio Vivaldi..). The complete Opus number 1-12 are newly recorded by L'Arte del'Arco, led by the eminent Federico Guglielmo (with numerous record awards to his name), a new recording of the complete Oboe Concertos, Juditha triumphans by Modo Antiquo/Sardelli, the famous Gloria by the Virtuosi Saxoniae, and new recordings by Early Music specialists Stefano Bagliano, Paolo Pollastri, Lorenzo Cavasanti. Contains extensive notes on Vivaldi

Baroque giants La Serenissima return with VIVALDI 8 - VOLUME 2, following their previous instalment in February 2025 of Vivaldi 8 Volume 1. Recognised for 'whipping up a storm with Vivaldi', La Serenissima is 'one of Britain's best-loved chamber orchestras' (The Telegraph) known for their outstanding performances, championing a host of neglected Italian baroque composers. Uniquely, the group's entire repertoire is edited from source material by founder and violinist, Adrian Chandler OSI. Praise for Vivaldi recordings by La Serenissima: 5 stars "After being obsessed by the composer and his music world for more than 30 years, Chandler by now is Vivaldi incarnate" - The Times

A follow up to their album Vivaldi X2, this new offering from baroque specialists Las Serenissima combines further double concerti by Antonio Vivaldi with works for violin, cello, oboe, recorder and continuo. The previous album received rave reviews including Recording of the Month from BBC Music Magazine. These are some of Vivaldi's most colourful and joyful works, and with director Adrian Chandler at the helm listeners can look forward to further baroque excellence from this dynamic ensemble.

In August 2023, the Innsbruck Early Music Festival featured a performance of a Baroque jewel, the three-act opera La fida ninfa (The faithful nymph), which Antonio Vivaldi premiered on 6 January 1732 in Verona and presented in Vienna on 5 January 1737. The storyline of the work is "typical". There is an evil pirate and a kidnapper, two brothers who were abducted separately, and two young girls and their father - who all tussle about on the isle of Naxos until a happy end is achieved. A great deal of confusion is a matter of course, but the awe-inspiring musical qualities of this work are far greater. The solos and ensemble pieces are of such variety and beauty that the reservations occasionally expressed about high baroque opera are completely unfounded. Here one literally longs for the repeat of the da capo arias with a silent 'sing it again'

Baroque giants La Serenissima return with their new recording of Vivaldi's Four Seasons, among other concerti for ensemble by Antonio Vivaldi. Recognized for 'whipping up a storm with Vivaldi,' La Serenissima is 'one of Britain's best-loved chamber orchestras' (The Telegraph) known for championing a host of neglected Italian baroque composers and its outstanding performances. Uniquely, the group's entire repertoire is edited from source material by founder and violinist Adrian Chandler. Praise for Vivaldi recordings by La Serenissima on Signum Classics: "After being obsessed by the composer and his music world for more than 30 years, Chandler by now is Vivaldi incarnate" - The Times

Vivaldi was one of the first composers to focus on the transverse flute as a viable solo instrument, and he may have even been the first to dedicate a whole publication to the flute family. His Opus 10 was published by Michel-Charles Le Cene in around 1728, though in reality many of the works in the collection were revised versions of earlier compositions, with Vivaldi capitalising on the popularity of the flute and rewriting material previously used for other instruments. Adding descriptive elements to the movement names, often connected to natural phenomena - such as 'La tempesta del mare' - was another way of boosting sales, something the composer had already discovered with his publication of The Four Seasons some years earlier. Vivaldi wrote over 500 concertos during his lifetime, and his expertise in this field is particularly evident in the exchanges between the ritornello and the orchestral tutti: while the ensemble comes together perfectly in the tutti, the soloist is really given a chance to fly in the soaring ritornelli, showcasing the instrument to it's fullest. Performing these works is Italian flautist Mario Folena, principal flautist of the Orchestra di Padova e del Veneto since 1982. He has previously collaborated with many prominent ensembles, including I Solisti Veneti and I Filarmonici di Verona, and is a respected teacher of the Baroque flute, having given summer courses at the Fondazione Cini in Venice and the conservatoires of Padova and Parma. He is joined by L'Arte dell'Arco, led from the front by violinist Federico Guglielmo, whose exuberant and thoroughly researched Vivaldi performances have previously garnered high praise. - The LP version of one of the most successful Vivaldi recordings in the Brilliant Classics catalogue. - Vivaldi's six Concertos for flute Op.10 nearly attain the same popularity as the Four Seasons. Published in Amsterdam in 1728 they contain some of Vivaldi's most famous concertos: Il Gardellino, La Notte and the Tempesta di Mare. Music of wonderful invention, drama, tone painting and instrumental virtuosity. - Played on original instruments by soloist Mario Folena, a pupil of Jean-Pierre Rampal and Rene Clemencic, principal flutist of the famous Orchestra di Padova e del Veneto, and veteran of the Historically Informed Performance Practice. Federico Guglielmo leads his ensemble l'Arte del'Arco, lifelong champions of the Red Priest from Venice. - Performance is based on the new Critical Edition of Vivaldi's works, revealing many new details and insights.

Vivaldi's work is extraordinarily profuse, and from his “extraordinary fury of composition” resulted a collection of 12 concertos, preserved in Paris since then, genuine jewels of Vivaldian music! However, for whom were they composed? The French Ambassador in Venice, Jacques-Vincent Languet, who made numerous commissions to Vivaldi in the 1720s? Perhaps as a magnificent gift to a visiting French music lover... Or perhaps François-Etienne, Duke of Lorraine and Bar? A fine music lover and musician, who in 1745 became Emperor Francis I of Austria, gave early protection to Vivaldi, who introduced himself in 1731 as “maestro di cappella di S.A.R. il Serenissimo Sig. Duca di Lorena”. The Paris Concertos would then have passed through the Luneville Court, which was very musical? The mystery is there, but these works influenced Parisian musical life. Stefan Plewniak's raging violin gives them back their full glory in this virtuoso interpretation by the Orchestre de l'Opera Royal de Versailles!

As the eighteenth century progressed, Trondheim experienced strong economic growth. The Great Nordic War was over, and merchants set about exporting timber, stockfish, and copper from the mines of Trøndelag. They maintained close contact with their networks in the main cities of Northern Europe, and Trondheim's luxury and extravagance characterised its social milieu. Thus, the latest fashions, literature and music from the Continent found their way to Trondheim. This recording portrays a selection of contemporaneous music that is preserved in Trondheim. The manuscripts may be found in the Gunnerus Library's special collections and probably belonged to the town musician and polymath Johan Daniel Berlin (1714–87) and his circle of musicians. They provide a unique insight into how European instrumental music found fertile ground in one of Denmark–Norway's largest provincial towns in the decades preceding the union's dissolution in 1814.

This album celebrates Antonio Vivaldi's compositions for a particular vocal register, the alto, and for soloists from three different instrumental families: strings, woodwinds (the transverse flute) and brass (the horn). It includes the now famous arias from Orlando furioso and La verit� in cimento, the violin concerto RV241, brought back from Venice in 1717 by Johann Georg Pisendel, a leading violinist, pupil and friend of Vivaldi, a flute concerto, not to mention his sacred vocal music, much of which is written for solo voice. A broad and eclectic panorama, a veritable 'best of' the Venetian composer, conceived by the musicians of Cafe Zimmermann, who have been playing Vivaldi's music with passion since it's creation more than 25 years ago (as evidenced by it's rich discography at Alpha), and the French countertenor Paul-Antoine Benos-Djian, 'enchanting in Vivaldi', writes Diapason, which praises his 'penetrating artistry' and 'unique personality'.

When was the last time you were really furious? With baroque orchestra La Sfera Armoniosa led by Mike Fentross, soprano Channa Malkin explores the raw power of anger through the intense and heart-wrenching music of Antonio Vivaldi. From hidden operatic gems to the fierce�In furore iustissimae irae, this album channels rage into beauty. Inspired by Channa's journey as a woman and mother, it reveals how moving through intense emotion can open the door to compassion, clarity, and catharsis.

Antonio Vivaldi's Four Seasons is a milestone in music. On the one hand, the cycle is firmly anchored in baroque aesthetics, on the other hand, one is already moving in the direction of the galant style. In our new recording, Vivaldi's works have been carefully arranged for pan flute with orchestra by the composer Carlos Pino-Quintana. The great challenge was to maintain or even emphasise polyphonic elements of the original solo part in the new instrumentation, to subtly transfer the technical characteristics of the violin to the pan flute, to find adequate keys, and to balance the resulting contrasts and timbres between solo and tutti in the sense of concerto grosso. In the process, the accompaniment of harpsichord as basso continuo, which otherwise would have appeared only as secco accompaniment in long phrases and sections, is omitted, which opened up new possibilities for the fabric of polyphony and gave the pan flute solo voice greater scope for expression and musicality. And lo and behold, the concertos sound as if they were written for the pan flute. This is of course also due to our interpreter Andreea Chira, who plays a historical pan flute "Nai" with an unmistakable timbre. An incomparable sound experience!

Antonio Vivaldi's musical production for bassoon comprises no less than thirty-nine solo concertos. Within the musical landscape of it's time, this impressive musical legacy stands out like the silhouette of a mountain shrouded in mystery. If we consider that in Italy there is almost no evidence of the bassoon being used in the solo form after the 1680s, Vivaldi's contribution acquires a significance that is both extraordinary and enigmatic. When and for which events were his concertos composed and performed? And also, for which performers was such a vast, original and technically demanding production intended? It is not easy to find an answer to such questions. The composer's renewed interest in this instrument must have then derived from an encounter with a first-rate virtuoso, someone whose talent helped to stimulate the creation of an original repertoire, characterised by an extremely high technical and qualitative standard. These were definitely performers who were able to work in close contact with the composer over a sufficiently long period of time. Indeed, Vivaldi's writing was influenced and modelled on their technical skills, as testified by the eight concertos included in this recording.

Antonio Vivaldi's musical production for bassoon comprises no less than thirty-nine solo concertos. Within the musical landscape of its time, this impressive musical legacy stands out like the silhouette of a mountain shrouded in mystery. If we consider that in Italy there is almost no evidence of the bassoon being used in the solo form after the 1680s, Vivaldi's contribution acquires a significance that is both extraordinary and enigmatic. When and for which events were his concertos composed and performed? And also, for which performers was such a vast, original and technically demanding production intended? It is not easy to find an answer to such questions. The composer's renewed interest in this instrument must have then derived from an encounter with a first-rate virtuoso, someone whose talent helped to stimulate the creation of an original repertoire, characterised by an extremely high technical and qualitative standard. These were definitely performers who were able to work in close contact with the composer over a sufficiently long period of time. Indeed, Vivaldi's writing was influenced and modelled on their technical skills, as testified by the eight concertos included in this recording.

Antonio Vivaldi's musical production for bassoon comprises no less than thirty-nine solo concertos. Within the musical landscape of it's time, this impressive musical legacy stands out like the silhouette of a mountain shrouded in mystery. If we consider that in Italy there is almost no evidence of the bassoon being used in the solo form after the 1680s, Vivaldi's contribution acquires a significance that is both extraordinary and enigmatic. When and for which events were his concertos composed and performed? And also, for which performers was such a vast, original and technically demanding production intended? It is not easy to find an answer to such questions. The composer's renewed interest in this instrument must have then derived from an encounter with a first-rate virtuoso, someone whose talent helped to stimulate the creation of an original repertoire, characterised by an extremely high technical and qualitative standard. These were definitely performers who were able to work in close contact with the composer over a sufficiently long period of time. Indeed, Vivaldi's writing was influenced and modelled on their technical skills, as testified by the eight concertos included in this recording.

On period instruments To this day, Venice is one of the European cities that exerts an extraordinary attraction on tourists, and if you trace it's history back, it underwent a development from the 15th to the 18th century in particular that predestined it to become a music metropolis. But what is the attraction of Venetian music? Probably the freshness, open-heartedness and lively bustle of the people with their informal and open-minded disposition, living in a harbour city that opened up to the world early on thanks to it's location on the Mediterranean and blossomed through international trade. Without a doubt, only Vivaldi's music is able to convey these essential elements to us contemporary people in an easily understandable and simple way. Miho Fukio (baroque bassoon) plays the 3rd CD here, together with Dominik Worner (bass) and the Ensemble F. This CD represents the endeavour to bring together and present Antonio Vivaldi's (1678-1741) bassoon concertos with the bass arias from his operas, which are closely related to the bassoon repertoire.

La Serenissima explore the sacred works of Vivaldi, many of which were composed for the Ospedale della Pietài – a Venetian institution that cared for unwanted children, which included a talented group of performers (the figlie di coro). The album includes several firsts, including a new recording of a 'lost' Concerto that has recently been credited to Vivaldi, and performances on a newly built Violin in Tromba Marina - an instrument thought unique to the Ospedale which Vivaldi composed for. La Serenissima is recognized as the UK’s leading exponent of the music of 18th-century Venice and connected composers. Uniquely, the group’s entire repertoire is edited from source material, and it has been praised for its ‘glorious and all-too-rare ability to make one’s pulse race afresh with every new project’ (Gramophone). La Serenissima has become synonymous with virtuosity, dynamism and accessibility, uncovering a plethora of new repertoire and making it available to all through live performance, high calibre recording work, education and outreach initiatives.

REVIEW

During his time at the Ospedale della Pietà, a Venetian institution that cared for disadvantaged children, Vivaldi wrote vocal works for the local orchestra and choir, as well as many concertos. From this oeuvre, la Serenissima’s CD presents a mixed selection. It convinces with ambitious, historically informed interpretations. Appropriate tempi, good soloists, and a conductor who knows how to keep a wonderful balance between rhythmic conciseness and sung-out melodies leave a more than positive impression. The violin concertos captivate with their interpretive coherence and rousing drive. Particularly noteworthy is the rather rarely heard violin concerto with organ and strings RV 541. Just as in instrumental music, Chandler uses all the tonal possibilities in sacred music to support the soloists with the orchestra. Jess Dandy’s darkly glowing alto is particularly impressive. The recording technique is exceptionally brilliant, a plus not to be neglected.

-- Pizzicato (Remy Franck)

Almost three hundred years ago, the legendary opera librettist Pietro Metastasio was inspired to write dramatic verse on the Olympic Games, the mother of all festivals. It's perfection was renowned, and more than 70 composers set it to music. One of the first of these was Antonio Vivaldi, whose Olimpiade was a great success at it's premiere on 17 February 1734 in Venice. Once again, the audience was witness to a brilliant comedy of errors, which was not only based on the ever-popular role reversal, but also brings into play the power of the oracle and the "sportsman's" competition for the hand of a beautiful woman. A happy ending is guaranteed, as was the case at the Innsbruck Festival 2023, thanks to the original production and, above all, the infectious music of the Prete Rosso Vivaldi.

A household word when speaking of repertoire, legendary flutist Jean-Pierre Rampal devoted just as much effort to establishing the masterpieces in their rightful place as to unearthing countless works from the baroque, classical and romantic eras. As far as concertos are concerned, cornerstones by Bach, Mozart and Vivaldi thus gained worldwide fame, and it went the same way for Ibert, Jolivet and Nielsen. Unfailing lyric sense, purity of style, magnificent tone, grace of phrasing, fabulous virtuosity, tremendous commitment... Critics, colleagues and the public were all running out of superlatives. Immediately valued as references, his recordings still fascinate and often leave the listener exhilarated. This 12 CD set tries the challenge of surrounding these marvels with some of the most dazzling rediscoveries, offering famous and less famous music, but equally glorious interpretations.

Classical Music

Classical Music

Harmonia mundi is proud to welcome the exceptional countertenor Carlo Vistoli as a new exclusive artist. Here he joins the Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin to explore some of Vivaldi's finest sacred music. Alongside the famous Nisi Dominus and Stabat Mater, the quasi-operatic motet, In furore, shows the extravert, theatrical side of Vivaldi's genius, for the purposes of edification, to be sure, but also for our greater delight.