Vivaldi's Women La Serenissima, Adrian Chandler, Claire Booth, Renata Pokupić, Jess Dandy, Robert Howarth

• Antonio Vivaldi (1678 - 1741): Concerto for Viola d’amore, Strings & Continuo in D Minor, Rv 394:
• 1 Vivaldi: Concerto for Viola d’amore, Strings & Continuo in D Minor, Rv 394: I. Allegro 04:24
• 2 Vivaldi: Concerto for Viola d’amore, Strings & Continuo in D Minor, Rv 394: Ii. Largo 01:56
• 3 Vivaldi: Concerto for Viola d’amore, Strings & Continuo in D Minor, Rv 394: Iii. Allegro 03:58
• Concerto for Violin in Tomba Marina, Strings & Continuo in G Major, Rv 313:
• 4 Vivaldi: Concerto for Violin in Tomba Marina, Strings & Continuo in G Major, Rv 313: I. Allegro 03:03
• 5 Vivaldi: Concerto for Violin in Tomba Marina, Strings & Continuo in G Major, Rv 313: Ii. Andante 02:38
• 6 Vivaldi: Concerto for Violin in Tomba Marina, Strings & Continuo in G Major, Rv 313: Iii. Allegro 03:02
• Introduzione al Gloria, "cur sagittas, cur tela, cur faces" for Contralto, Strings & Continuo, Rv 637:
• 7 Vivaldi: Introduzione al Gloria, "cur sagittas, cur tela, cur faces" for Contralto, Strings & Continuo, Rv 637: I. Aria. Allegro "cur sagittas, cur tela, cur faces" 03:48
• 8 Vivaldi: Introduzione al Gloria, "cur sagittas, cur tela, cur faces" for Contralto, Strings & Continuo, Rv 637: Ii. Recitativo accompagnato "hostibus circumventa undique et armis" 01:43
• 9 Vivaldi: Introduzione al Gloria, "cur sagittas, cur tela, cur faces" for Contralto, Strings & Continuo, Rv 637: Iii. Aria. Andante "in te beate Pater" 05:33
• Concerto for Violin, Strings & Continuo in F Major from 'Harmonia Mundi the 2nd Collection':
• 10 Vivaldi: Concerto for Violin, Strings & Continuo in F Major from 'Harmonia Mundi the 2nd Collection': I. Allegro 03:00
• 11 Vivaldi: Concerto for Violin, Strings & Continuo in F Major from 'Harmonia Mundi the 2nd Collection': Ii. Adagio 01:41
• 12 Vivaldi: Concerto for Violin, Strings & Continuo in F Major from 'Harmonia Mundi the 2nd Collection': Iii. Allegro 02:22
• Concerto for Violin, Organ, Strings & Continuo in D Minor, Rv 541:
• 13 Vivaldi: Concerto for Violin, Organ, Strings & Continuo in D Minor, Rv 541: I. Allegro 03:42
• 14 Vivaldi: Concerto for Violin, Organ, Strings & Continuo in D Minor, Rv 541: Ii. Grave 02:39
• 15 Vivaldi: Concerto for Violin, Organ, Strings & Continuo in D Minor, Rv 541: Iii. Allegro 02:17
• Psalm 126, "nisi Dominus" for soprano, Mezzo-soprano, Contralto, Violin in Tromba Marina, Viola d’amore, Chalumeau, Cello, Organ, Strings & Continuo, Rv 803:
• 16 Vivaldi: Psalm 126, "nisi Dominus" Rv 803: I. Allegro "nisi Dominus aedificaverit domum" 01:46
• 17 Vivaldi: Psalm 126, "nisi Dominus" Rv 803: Ii. Allegro "nisi Dominus custodierit civitatem" 02:48
• 18 Vivaldi: Psalm 126, "nisi Dominus" Rv 803: Iii. Allegro "vanum est vobis ante lucem" 02:35
• 19 Vivaldi: Psalm 126, "nisi Dominus" Rv 803: Iv. Andante "cum dederit dilectis suis" 03:14
• 20 Vivaldi: Psalm 126, "nisi Dominus" Rv 803: V. Allegro "sicut sagittae in manu potentis" 02:35
• 21 Vivaldi: Psalm 126, "nisi Dominus" Rv 803: Vi. Largo "beatus vir qui implevit desiderium" 05:13
• 22 Vivaldi: Psalm 126, "nisi Dominus" Rv 803: Vii. Larghetto "gloria Patri, et Filio, et Spritui Sancto" 04:44
• 23 Vivaldi: Psalm 126, "nisi Dominus" Rv 803: Viii. Allegro "sicut erat in principio" 01:40
• Total Runtime 01:10:21

Info for Vivaldi's Women

“Apart from a short period (1717-19) spent in Mantua under the patronage of Philip of Hesse-Darmstadt, Vivaldi never held a full-time post in church or at court; for a composer of Vivaldi’s talent and standing, this was most unusual.

That said, he was employed for significant periods by the Ospedale della Pietài, a Venetian institution (founded c.1340) that cared for unwanted children, often illegitimate or physically disadvantagedii. The Pietà’s performers were taken from a group of women known as the figlie di coro, who sang and played the violin, violin in tromba marina, viola, viola d’amore, cello, violone, viol, double bass, theorbo, mandolin, harpsichord, organ, oboe, flute, recorder, chalumeau and clarinet. The Pietà developed a strong reputation for its musical performances, engaging the finest composers and teachers of the day. It was important to ensure that the standards were high; after all, these entertainments were most popular with Venetians and visitors alike whose donations provided a welcome extra source of revenue.

In addition to the many fine vocal works, Vivaldi also contributed many concertos that could be used to replace parts of the liturgy in church services. Amongst these are almost certainly all of his concertos for violin and obligato organ, presumably designed to show off the magnificent instrument that the Pietà had purchased in 1708.

We are extremely grateful to the Vivaldi scholar Michael Talbot for sharing his findings. As so much of Vivaldi’s sacred output seems to have been created whilst deputising for others, one can only imagine the riches that would have poured forth from his pen had he been given a church post. The quality of the music contained within his sacred oeuvre is breath-taking and it is a great tragedy that the evidence points to a large tranche of this repertoire having been lost over the years. It is interesting on this last point to note how few of the great composers since 1750 have been violinists. One can only hope that the time is now ripe for Vivaldi’s genius as a church composer to be fully recognised”

La Serenissima is recognised as the UK’s leading exponent of the music of 18th Century Venice and connected composers. Uniquely, the group’s entire repertoire is edited from source material, and it has been praised for its “glorious and all-too-rare ability to make one’s pulse race afresh with every new project” (Gramophone)

La Serenissima
Adrian Chandler, director, violin

Adrian Chandler
Born on Merseyside in 1974, Adrian Chandler is recognised internationally as a leading interpreter of Italian baroque music. Whilst a student at the Royal College of Music, Adrian founded La Serenissima with whom he has performed as Director/Soloist at major festivals and has recorded extensively for the Avie label (winning a Gramophone Award in 2010). He has been Guest Director and Soloist with many ensembles and will make his debut with Concerto Copenhagen in 2019. Adrian’s performances have been broadcast extensively worldwide; his disc of virtuoso violin sonatas Per Monsieur Pisendel 2 released in 2014 attracted rave reviews and featured on the soundtrack of hit American TV series The Originals. His interpretation of The Four Seasons was released in 2015 to outstanding critical reception and his unique combination of research, editing and performing work has been recognised by twice winning the Gramophone Award for Baroque Instrumental for recording projects The French Connection (2010) and The Italian Job (2017). Adrian’s most recent recording with La Serenissima is a disc of double concertos Vivaldi x2, released in 2018, which went straight to No.1 in the Classical Charts and attracted great critical acclaim.

Known for his virtuosity and commitment as performer, Adrian also works tirelessly to research and edit new repertoire for La Serenissima. He held an Arts and Humanities Research Council fellowship at Southampton University to research the development of the North Italian violin concerto 1690 – 1740, and subsequently a two-year post as Turner Sims Professor. He curated La Serenissima’s first ever residency The Grand Tour at St John’s Smith Square, London during the 2016/17 season, devised and directed three concerts for the 2017 Vivaldi in Venice festival, and in 2018 directed the UK premiere of Brescianello’s opera Tisbe for the Buxton International Festival.

During the 2018/19 season, Adrian will direct La Serenissima in a flagship programme The Godfather at venues around the UK, will perform two bespoke programmes at London’s Wigmore Hall, and will tour to Italy, Denmark, Germany and Spain.

Booklet for Vivaldi's Women