La Serenissima & Adrian Chandler - Vivaldi's Women (2022)

Apart from a short period (1717-1719) 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.

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. © Signum Records

Tracklist
[4:25] 1. La Serenissima, Adrian Chandler, Claire Booth, Renata Pokupić, Jess Dandy, Robert Howarth - Vivaldi: Concerto for Viola d’amore, Strings & Continuo in D Minor, Rv 394: I. Allegro
[1:57] 2. La Serenissima, Adrian Chandler, Claire Booth, Renata Pokupić, Jess Dandy, Robert Howarth - Vivaldi: Concerto for Viola d’amore, Strings & Continuo in D Minor, Rv 394: Ii. Largo
[3:59] 3. La Serenissima, Adrian Chandler, Claire Booth, Renata Pokupić, Jess Dandy, Robert Howarth - Vivaldi: Concerto for Viola d’amore, Strings & Continuo in D Minor, Rv 394: Iii. Allegro
[3:04] 4. La Serenissima, Adrian Chandler, Claire Booth, Renata Pokupić, Jess Dandy, Robert Howarth - Vivaldi: Concerto for Violin in Tomba Marina, Strings & Continuo in G Major, Rv 313: I. Allegro
[2:39] 5. La Serenissima, Adrian Chandler, Claire Booth, Renata Pokupić, Jess Dandy, Robert Howarth - Vivaldi: Concerto for Violin in Tomba Marina, Strings & Continuo in G Major, Rv 313: Ii. Andante
[3:03] 6. La Serenissima, Adrian Chandler, Claire Booth, Renata Pokupić, Jess Dandy, Robert Howarth - Vivaldi: Concerto for Violin in Tomba Marina, Strings & Continuo in G Major, Rv 313: Iii. Allegro
[3:49] 7. La Serenissima, Adrian Chandler, Claire Booth, Renata Pokupić, Jess Dandy, Robert Howarth - 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"
[1:44] 8. La Serenissima, Adrian Chandler, Claire Booth, Renata Pokupić, Jess Dandy, Robert Howarth - Vivaldi: Introduzione al Gloria, "cur sagittas, cur tela, cur faces" for Contralto, Strings & Continuo, Rv 637: Ii. Recitativo accompagnato "hostibus circumventa undique et armis"
[5:34] 9. La Serenissima, Adrian Chandler, Claire Booth, Renata Pokupić, Jess Dandy, Robert Howarth - Vivaldi: Introduzione al Gloria, "cur sagittas, cur tela, cur faces" for Contralto, Strings & Continuo, Rv 637: Iii. Aria. Andante "in te beate Pater"
[3:01] 10. La Serenissima, Adrian Chandler, Claire Booth, Renata Pokupić, Jess Dandy, Robert Howarth - Vivaldi: Concerto for Violin, Strings & Continuo in F Major from 'Harmonia Mundi the 2nd Collection': I. Allegro
[1:42] 11. La Serenissima, Adrian Chandler, Claire Booth, Renata Pokupić, Jess Dandy, Robert Howarth - Vivaldi: Concerto for Violin, Strings & Continuo in F Major from 'Harmonia Mundi the 2nd Collection': Ii. Adagio
[2:23] 12. La Serenissima, Adrian Chandler, Claire Booth, Renata Pokupić, Jess Dandy, Robert Howarth - Vivaldi: Concerto for Violin, Strings & Continuo in F Major from 'Harmonia Mundi the 2nd Collection': Iii. Allegro
[3:43] 13. La Serenissima, Adrian Chandler, Claire Booth, Renata Pokupić, Jess Dandy, Robert Howarth - Vivaldi: Concerto for Violin, Organ, Strings & Continuo in D Minor, Rv 541: I. Allegro
[2:40] 14. La Serenissima, Adrian Chandler, Claire Booth, Renata Pokupić, Jess Dandy, Robert Howarth - Vivaldi: Concerto for Violin, Organ, Strings & Continuo in D Minor, Rv 541: Ii. Grave
[2:18] 15. La Serenissima, Adrian Chandler, Claire Booth, Renata Pokupić, Jess Dandy, Robert Howarth - Vivaldi: Concerto for Violin, Organ, Strings & Continuo in D Minor, Rv 541: Iii. Allegro
[1:47] 16. La Serenissima, Adrian Chandler, Claire Booth, Renata Pokupić, Jess Dandy, Robert Howarth - Vivaldi: Psalm 126, "nisi Dominus" Rv 803: I. Allegro "nisi Dominus aedificaverit domum"
[2:49] 17. La Serenissima, Adrian Chandler, Claire Booth, Renata Pokupić, Jess Dandy, Robert Howarth - Vivaldi: Psalm 126, "nisi Dominus" Rv 803: Ii. Allegro "nisi Dominus custodierit civitatem"
[2:36] 18. La Serenissima, Adrian Chandler, Claire Booth, Renata Pokupić, Jess Dandy, Robert Howarth - Vivaldi: Psalm 126, "nisi Dominus" Rv 803: Iii. Allegro "vanum est vobis ante lucem"
[3:15] 19. La Serenissima, Adrian Chandler, Claire Booth, Renata Pokupić, Jess Dandy, Robert Howarth - Vivaldi: Psalm 126, "nisi Dominus" Rv 803: Iv. Andante "cum dederit dilectis suis"
[2:36] 20. La Serenissima, Adrian Chandler, Claire Booth, Renata Pokupić, Jess Dandy, Robert Howarth - Vivaldi: Psalm 126, "nisi Dominus" Rv 803: V. Allegro "sicut sagittae in manu potentis"
[5:14] 21. La Serenissima, Adrian Chandler, Claire Booth, Renata Pokupić, Jess Dandy, Robert Howarth - Vivaldi: Psalm 126, "nisi Dominus" Rv 803: Vi. Largo "beatus vir qui implevit desiderium"
[4:45] 22. La Serenissima, Adrian Chandler, Claire Booth, Renata Pokupić, Jess Dandy, Robert Howarth - Vivaldi: Psalm 126, "nisi Dominus" Rv 803: Vii. Larghetto "gloria Patri, et Filio, et Spritui Sancto"
[1:41] 23. La Serenissima, Adrian Chandler, Claire Booth, Renata Pokupić, Jess Dandy, Robert Howarth - Vivaldi: Psalm 126, "nisi Dominus" Rv 803: Viii. Allegro "sicut erat in principio"