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...

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.