Sacroprofano

Featuring

Jonathan Cohen
Tim Mead
Arcangelo
Antonio Vivaldi

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Compositional Technique

The Sinfonia al Santo Sepolcro RV 169 features a double fugue where two subjects, starting an octave apart, slowly converge to a unison, illustrating Vivaldi's attraction to scales in contrary motion.

Composition History

The six Vivaldi works on this recording are mature compositions that survived in Vivaldi's own archive of musical manuscripts, now housed at the University Library in Turin.

Performer Biography

Tim Mead, the countertenor on this album, is praised for his "alluring" and "consistently excellent" interpretations and his "rich, mellifluous sound."

Performer Biography

Arcangelo, led by Jonathan Cohen, is a leading period performance ensemble that applies chamber music artistry to its entire repertoire, from trio sonatas to oratorios.

Composer Biography

Vivaldi began writing sacred vocal music in quantity after temporarily filling in for an absent choirmaster at the Ospedale della Pietà, a Venetian institution for foundlings where he taught violin.

Compositional Technique

Vivaldi's Nisi Dominus RV 608 uses word-painting, such as 'labour' illustrated with laborious coloratura and 'rising up' by ascending string scales.

Performer Biography

Jonathan Cohen, the conductor, has a diverse career as a conductor, cellist, and keyboardist, comfortable with Baroque opera and classical symphonic repertoire.