Sonatori De La Gioiosa Marca

Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741), dubbed 'il preto rosso' (the red priest), was the son of Giovanni Battista, violinist at San Marco in Venice. Antonio became one of the most famous violin players of his time. His composition work was wholly ignored until the 20th Century, when the rediscovery of various scores led to a revival. He spent the greatest part of his carrier as conductor and director of the 'Ospedale della Pietà' in Venice, an orphanage for girls, where a lot of attention was paid to music. Here he composed many violin concertos, but also concertos for bassoon, flute, and oboe, and for a number of other instrumental combinations. Next to this, he also wrote around forty operas, which were performed all over the country. In the twenty years of its existence, the Venetian ensemble I Sonatori de la Goiosa Marca has been a major contributor to the performance and interpretation of Vivaldi's instrumental music on original period instruments. Their play sparkles with intensity. The interaction between the musicians and the delicate phrasing, which they employ, transform the score into a breathtakingly beautiful, almost tangible reality - not just through sheer virtuosity, but also through a clear and simple musical language and consummate expression.