Antonio Vivaldi is by far the most prolific composer of concertos in musical history; around 475 of his concertos have survived. As a celebrated and virtuoso violinist, it is not surprising that he composed mainly for violin, either as soloist or in the concertante group. But Vivaldi also demonstrated a keen interest in other melodic instruments of the period, enriching their repertoire with imaginative and virtuosic compositions. His second choise of solo instrument is, surprisingly, not the oboe, well-known in Venice at the time, nor the transverse flute, immensely popular all over Europe after 1720, nor even the cello, but the bassoon. His 39 concertos for bassoon with strings and continuo remain somewhat of an enigma. They are the first such works in history and there is no indication for whom they are written nor why there are so many. It is possible that they were written for a student virtuoso at the Ospedale della Pietà, where Vivaldi served intermittently throughout his career, and one visitor indeed listed the bassoon among the instruments he heard there, but there are no records of a bassoon teacher nor of the purchase of any such instrument. Furthermore, the instrument is conspicuously absent even among those typical Pietà showcases of rare instruments such as the oratorio Juditha Triumphans of 1716.
- Wykonawca Berkhout Frans Robert , La Suave Melodia
- Data premiery 2011-08-01
- Nośnik CD