Florilegium, one of Britain's most outstanding period instrument ensembles, has performed in prestigious venues worldwide, including Sydney Opera House and Wigmore Hall.
Historical Context
Vivaldi worked at the Ospedale della Pietà, one of four Venetian charitable orphanages where girls, known as 'figlie di coro', were trained to excel in music and play various instruments.
Performer Biography
Florilegium has been Ensemble in Association at the Royal College of Music in London since September 2008, coaching 18th-century baroque chamber music.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Despite Vivaldi's modern image as a secular composer, much of his work, including thirty of his fifty extant sacred vocal works, was intended for church performances.
Composition History
Vivaldi's Concerto Madrigalesco in D minor, RV129, is a 'parody' of his own vocal music, adapting themes from his Kyrie, RV587, and Magnificat.
Composer Biography
Antonio Vivaldi spent most of his life in Venice, a city known for its vibrant concert culture and splendid liturgical music.
Performer Biography
Elin Manahan Thomas, the soprano soloist, initially studied Anglo-Saxon, Norse and Celtic at Clare College Cambridge before pursuing a singing career.
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Flute Concertos & Sonatas: J. S. Bach, C. P. E. Bach, C. Stamitz, J. Stamitz, Gluck, Quantz and others
Zürcher Barockorchester: Dresden Concertos by Antonio Vivaldi, Wilhelm Friedemann Bach and Johann David Heinichen (La Dresda Galante)
