´óÏó´«Ã½

Donald Macleod journeys through Vivaldi's early operatic successes

As part of the ´óÏó´«Ã½'s opera season, Composer of the Week takes a look behind the curtain and onto the stage exploring the world of Antonio Vivaldi's operas. Vivaldi was one of the most original and influential Italian composers of his generation, and his music travelled far past the boundaries of his native Italy. He was considered an innovator in the art of violin technique and concerto writing, and yet he said himself that during his career he wrote nearly one hundred operas in total, though few have survived today. Vivaldi not only composed for the stage and performed in theatre orchestras, but he also became something of an impresario managing many aspects of opera productions. This week Donald Macleod is joined by Professor Eric Cross to lift the veil on this lesser known operatic side of the creator of the famed Four Seasons, Antonio Vivaldi.

Vivaldi's fame travelled far and wide as a virtuoso violinist and a composer of concertos. So when he entered the world of opera as a composer, audiences expected something amazing. He wasn't new to the world of the stage, having performed as a theatre musician for many years. However, his first operatic work 'Ottone in villa' was not the innovative spectacle people looked for. Vivaldi went on to revise this work, tightening up the deficiencies as he saw them. By the time he composed his 'L'incornazione di Dario' in 1717, Vivaldi was clearly demonstrating his ability to create drama in music. It was during the same early period that Vivaldi was also becoming far more of a businessman in the theatre world.

Sinfonia in C major, RV729 (Ottone in villa)
L'Arte dell'Arco
Christopher Hogwood, director

Ottone in villa, RV729 (Act 1 Sc's 9-11)
Cleonilla .... Susan Gritton (soprano)
Caio Silio .... Nancy Argenta (soprano)
Tullia .... Sophie Daneman (soprano)
Collegium Musicum 90
Richard Hickox, conductor

Concerto No 8 in A minor, RV522
The English Concert
Trevor Pinnock, director

L'incornazione di Dario, RV719 (Act 3 Sc's 8-15)
Alinda .... Roberta Mameli (soprano)
Arpago .... Sofia Soloviy (soprano)
Oronte .... Lucia Cirillo (mezzo-soprano)
Statira .... Sara Mingardo (alto)
Argene .... Delphine Galou (alto)
Flora .... Giuseppina Bridelli (alto)
Dario .... Anders Dahlin (tenor)
Niceno .... Riccardo Novaro (baritone)
Accademia Bizantina
Ottavio Dantone, director

Producer Luke Whitlock.