Of course we all know the prolific Vivaldi as the author of well over 200 violin concertos (among these, the famous Four Seasons). These all too easily divert our attention from other – equally interesting – compositions, such as the concertos for multiple soloists, another specialty of his. Here he often calls for wind instrument soloists: recorder, flute, oboe, or bassoon. We could suppose that these pieces were performed under his direction by the girls of the Ospedale della Pietà. We know that these orphan girls excelled in all kinds of instruments and singing, and their concerts were a not-to-be-missed event in Venetian music life. The Tempesta di Mare and the famous flute concerto Il Gardellino.might originally belong to this Pietà-repertoire. They figure among the successful collection of pieces which Vivaldi decided to have printed in Amsterdam.

You’ll also hear three of Vivaldi’s seldom-performed c. 60 pieces (called concerto or sinfonia) for string orchestra. They could have been intended for performance during church services, or for any other festive occasion. These rather short works display all of Vivaldi’s qualities: a simple but strong overall structure, clearly stated ideas and recognizable melodies, and a seemingly effortless and inexhaustible invention of colors and moods. 

Vivaldi’s colors always remind me of the colors we see in Venice. Just imagine the yellow, green, red, pink, or blue facades of the Canal Grande’s palazzi, all different but all harmonizing with each other and mirrored in the ever-moving water, some delicate-colored clouds, and a few gondole…