Freiburg Baroque Orchestra: Viva Vivaldi!

Antonio Vivaldi:
Concerti per molti strumenti in D major RV 562 & F major RV 571
Concerti per archi in G minor RV 156
Concerto da Camera in G minor RV 107
Concerti per due trombe in C major RV 537 & D major RV 563
Concerto per flauto in A minor RV 440

Freiburger Barockorchester
Cecilia Bernardini, violin & conductor

Antonio Vivaldi wrote music history with his "Four Seasons". However, these four violin concertos represent only a tiny fraction of Vivaldi's concertante oeuvre. He composed almost 500 concertos in the course of his life - a number almost as dizzying as their virtuosity. However, Vivaldi did not limit himself to violin concertos, but wrote for almost all instruments that were (more or less) common in his time: Bassoons, trumpets, flutes, mandolins etc.

The so-called "Concerti per molti strumenti", i.e. concertos with not just one solo instrument but an entire group, are extremely attractive and varied, e.g. the Concerto in F major 571, in which two oboes, a bassoon, two horns, a violin and a cello compete with the rest of the orchestra as soloists. Vivaldi orchestrated his concertos with a variety of instruments like no other composer of his time, which meant that the richness of color in his work remained unmatched.
Vivaldi also remained true to this colorfulness in his chamber music compositions, for example in the chamber concerto (Concerto da camera) in G minor RV 107 for flute, oboe, bassoon, violin and basso continuo: despite the small instrumentation, the work is reminiscent of the extroversion of his larger concertos, not least because of the passacaglia in the final movement, a hypnotic variation movement that creates a certain eccentricity with its deliberate irregularities.

A free introductory lecture will take place at 7.15 pm in the Rolf Böhme Hall.