Vivaldi: Concertos

Vivaldi was not only a composer, but also a virtuoso violinist, an outstanding educator and a Catholic priest. His thick red hair led to his nickname ‘il Prete Rosso’ (the Red Priest). He spent the majority of his career working as ‘maestro di violino’ at 11 the Ospedale della Pieta, an orphanage in Venice where he was to have an enormous influence over his thirty-year tenure, pushing the musical standards to new levels and encouraging all manner of chamber music activities. A large number of the concertos were composed specifically for the orphaned students of the school, and Vivaldi would strive to find performance opportunities and produce concerts in a Venice, which was very much preoccupied with the theatre.

This set contains some of his most famous concertos, played in style and with that original Venetian touch by the Interpreti Veneziani.

The illustrious chamber orchestra Interpreti Veneziani was founded by Paolo Cognolato in 1987, and has since been a key player in the Venetian musical calendar as well as having a busy touring schedule both in Italy and abroad.