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Summer - Carnival of Venice

Donald Macleod explores Summer in the life and career of Vivaldi, and the world of the Venetian carnival.

Donald Macleod explores Summer in the life and career of Vivaldi, and the world of the Venetian carnival.

As performer, composer, impresario, musical director, and teacher, Antonio Vivaldi was a key figure in the musical life of Baroque Italy. Thanks to his set of Concertos 鈥淭he Four Seasons鈥, he remains one of the most famous and best loved composers today. This week, Donald Macleod puts these four celebrated concertos front and centre as he also explores the four seasons of Vivaldi鈥檚 own life, lingering a little in his summer. We'll follow him from the start of his musical story, teaching at the Ospedale della Piet脿 in Venice, through his time as an opera composer, catering to the crowds who swarmed to Venice during carnival season, to his successes away from Venice. Vivaldi had many highs in his career, however he also had some difficult low points, finding himself embroiled in scandal and accused of immoral behaviour, before dying in poverty in a foreign city 鈥 his star having fallen from favour.

In Tuesday鈥檚 episode, Donald explores the busy Summer in the life and career of Vivaldi, and the world of the Venetian carnival, where lucrative operatic projects could be mounted for the thousands of visitors to the city, but it could also be a dark world, full of murky secrets, violence and debt.

L鈥檕racolo in Messenia 鈥 鈥淪鈥檌n campo armato鈥
Julia Lezhneva (Trasimede), soprano
Europe Galante
Fabio Biondi, conductor

La costanza trionfante de gl'amori e de gl'odii, RV 706 - 鈥淣on sempre folgora鈥
Topi Lehtipuu, tenor (Olderico)
I Barocchisti
Diego Fasolis, conductor

La costanza trionfante de gl'amori e de gl'odii, RV 706 - 鈥淟ascia almen che ti consegni鈥
Nathalie Stutzmann, contralto (Eumena) & conductor
Orfeo 55

La costanza trionfante de gl'amori e de gl'odii, RV 706 - 鈥淧erche lacero il foglio鈥
Sonia Prina, contralto (Eumena)
Accademia Bizantina
Ottavio Danto, conductor

Ottone in villa, RV 729 鈥 鈥淔rema pur, si lagni Roma鈥
Philippe Jaroussky, counter-tenor (Ottone)
Ensemble Matheus
Jean-Christophe Spinosi, conductor

Arsilda, regina di Ponto, RV 700 鈥 鈥淟a tiranna avversa sorte鈥
Joseph Cornwell, tenor (Tamese)
Modo Antiquo
Federico Maria Sardelli, conductor

Farnace, RV 711 - 鈥淕elido in Omni鈥
Dmitry Sinkovsky, countertenor & conductor (Farnace)
La Voce Strumentale

Violin Concerto, Op. 8 No. 10 in B flat major, RV362 'La Caccia'
Enrico Onofri (violin and direction)
Academia Montis Regalis

Tito Manlio, RV 738 鈥 Sinfonia
Modo Antiquo
Federico Maria Sardelli, conductor

59 minutes

Music Played

  • Antonio Vivaldi

    L'oracolo in Messenia (S'in campo armato)

    Singer: Julia Lezhneva. Orchestra: Europa Galante. Director: Fabio Biondi.
    • Erato : 6025472.
    • Erato.
    • 18.
  • Antonio Vivaldi

    La costanza trionfante, RV706 (Non sempre folgora)

    Singer: Topi Lehtipuu. Ensemble: I Barocchisti. Conductor: Diego Fasolis.
    • Naive OP30504.
    • Naive.
    • 3.
  • Antonio Vivaldi

    La costanza trionfante, RV706 (Lascia almen che ti consegni)

    Singer: Nathalie Stutzmann. Ensemble: Orfeo 55.
    • DG : 476-4304.
    • DG.
    • 12.
  • Antonio Vivaldi

    La costanza trionfante, RV706 (Perche lacero il foglio)

    Singer: Sonia Prima. Ensemble: Accademia Bizantina. Director: Ottavio Dantone.
    • NAIVE RECORDS : OP-30443.
    • NAIVE RECORDS.
    • 10.
  • Antonio Vivaldi

    Ottone in villa, RV729 (Frema pur, si lagni Roma)

    Singer: Philippe Jaroussky. Ensemble: Ensemble Matheus. Conductor: Jean鈥怌hristophe Spinosi.
    • ERATO 3634142.
    • ERATO.
    • 3.
  • Antonio Vivaldi

    Arsilda, regina di Ponto, RV700 (La tiranna avversa sorte)

    Singer: Joseph Cornwell. Ensemble: Modo Antiquo. Conductor: Federico Maria Sardelli.
    • CPO : 999-740-2.
    • CPO.
    • 19.
  • Antonio Vivaldi

    Farnace, RV711 (Geledo in Omni)

    Performer: Dmitry Sinkovsky. Ensemble: La Voce Strumentale.
    • Na茂ve OP30559.
    • 狈补茂惫别.
    • 14.
  • Antonio Vivaldi

    Concerto in B flat major, Op 8, No 10, RV362 (La Caccia)

    Performer: Enrico Onofri. Ensemble: Academia Montis Regalis.
    • Naive OP30417.
    • Naive.
    • 13.
  • Antonio Vivaldi

    Tito Manlio, RV738 (Sinfonia)

    Ensemble: Modo Antiquo. Conductor: Federico Maria Sardelli.
    • CPO 777096-2.
    • CPO.
    • 1.

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  • Tue 31 Jan 2023 12:00
  • Tue 28 May 2024 16:00

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