Certainly more than just the composer of the "Four Seasons", we all know that Antonio Vivaldi (1678 - 1743) also wrote hundreds of largely famous and wonderful instrumental works, and his glorious church music is well known. But it wasn't until recent decades that his wonderful operas - of which he is said to have written more than fifty - were resurrected.
In this now famous concert held at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées in Paris in 2000 (here in its full-length), the talented and world-renowned italian mezzo-soprano Cecilia Bartoli together with Italian period music ensemble Il Giardino Armonico just presents beautiful and rare or lesser known arias from Vivaldi's operas. Ably backed by instrumentalists including violinist Marco Bianchi, lutist Luca Pianca, oboe player Maria Grazia d'Alessio, and flautino (recorder) soloist Giovanni Antonini - who also acts as the conductor - the gorgeous mezzo-soprano with her spectacular vocal pyrotechnics gives a voice to a great composer whose legendary work "The Four Seasons" has, unfortunately, eclipsed for many years almost all of his other gems. This Brian Large film showcases the repertoire from the bestselling "Vivaldi Album" (Decca, 1999) which catapulted Cecilia Bartoli to worldwide stardom.
The concert received universal acclaim. Above all, Bartoli and Il Giardino Armonico perform unknown works that had to be copied from Vivaldi's original manuscripts. The concert program encompasses arias and instrumental works from the operas "L'Olimpiade", "Tito Manilio", "Ottone in Villa", "Ercole sul Terdomonte", "Farnace", "Bajazet" (or "Tamerlano"), "La Fida Ninfa", "Griselda", "Giustino", from the oratorio "Juditha Triumphans", and the famous "Gloria". Consisting here of seventeen musicians, the world-class baroque ensemble Il Giardino Armonico (which already supported Cecilia Bartoli just on the Decca album) also performes two Vivaldi's concertos.
INDEX
01. "Di due rai languir costante", RV 749 no. 7
02. "L'Olimpiade", RV 725 (Venice, 1734): "Siam navi all'onde algenti"
03. "Tito Manlio", RV 738 (Mantova, 1719): "Non ti lusinghi la crudeltade"
04. "Ottone in Villa", RV 729 (Vicenza, 1713): "Gelosia, tu già rendi l'alma mia"
05. Chamber Concerto in C major for Flautino & Strings, RV 443
06. "Gloria in D major", RV 589 (Venice, 1713?): "Domine Deus"
07. "Juditha triumphans", RV 644 (Venice, 1716): "Armatae face et anguibus"
08. "Ercole sul Termodonte", RV 710 (Rome, 1723): "Zeffiretti che sussurate"
09. Chamber Concerto in D major for Lute & Strings, RV 93 (58:05)
10. "Il Farnace", RV 711 (Venice, 1727): "Gelido in ogni vena" (01:07:35)
11. "Bajazet" ("Tamerlano"), RV 703 (Verona, 1735): "Anche il mar par che sommerga"
12. "La fida ninfa", RV 714 (Verona, 1732): "Dite Ohimè"
13. "Griselda", RV 718 (Venice, 1735): "Agitata da due venti"
14. "Giustino", RV 717 (Rome, 1724): "Sventurata navicella"
Cecilia Bartoli (mezzo-soprano)
Il Giardino Armonico:
Giovanni Antonini (conductor and flautino soloist);
Enrico Onofri, Marco Bianchi (violins);
Luca Pianca (lute);
Maria Grazia d'Alessio (oboe)
Concert Master: Enrico Onofri
Director: Brian Large
Producer: Colin Wilson
Composer: Antonio Vivaldi