The viola d'amore, an instrument popular in the 17th and 18th centuries, is played like a violin but is part of the viol family and features a double set of strings, including sympathetic strings.
Instruments
The Pietà's performers, known as the figlie di coro, were women who played a wide array of instruments, including violin, viola d'amore, cello, oboe, flute, and chalumeau.
Recording & Production
The 'Crystal' Viola d'Amore, featured on this album, was specially commissioned based on Stradivari's designs and made by American luthier Dan Larson.
Instruments
Vivaldi likely developed the violin in tromba marina, an instrument unique to the Ospedale della Pietà, which probably had three strings and a modified bridge to imitate the rattle of a tromba marina.
Composer Biography
Vivaldi, despite his talent, never held a full-time post in church or at court for most of his career, which was unusual for a composer of his standing.
Compositional Technique
Vivaldi experimented with new musical forms like the Introduzione, a type of motet for solo voice, strings, and continuo, designed to introduce a larger work.
Historical Context
Vivaldi was employed by the Ospedale della Pietà, a Venetian institution founded around 1340 that cared for unwanted children, many of whom were illegitimate or physically disadvantaged.
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