Il prete rosso – The Red Priest
The best of Vivaldi
Vivaldi
Essi Luttinen, mezzosoprano
Jani Sunnarborg, bassoon (not 20.–21.11.)
Kreeta-Maria Kentala, violin and leading
Finnish Baroque Orchestra
A charming duet consisting of a mezzo-soprano and a bassoon take us into Vivaldi’s lively world of music. ”Il prete rosso”, the redheaded priest of Venice, Antonio Vivaldi is especially known for his concertos, but he composed all forms of Baroque pieces from operas to chamber music.
He was also interested in new instruments, those that usually did not make it to the limelight at that time. The husky and low-pitched bassoon was an innovation of the Baroque time, and Vivaldi was so excited by the instrument that he composed tens of solo concertos for the bassoon, of which one will now be performed by Jani Sunnarborg.
Mezzo-soprano Essi Luttinen reveals the two faces of Vivaldi the vocal composer. The dramatic motet Longe mala, umbrae, terrores begs the heavenly light to cleanse the world from war and violence. The last half of the concert forms a nuanced musical journey, with orchestra concertos alternating with Vivaldi’s opera arias. The piece ending the concert will be the aria Agitata da due venti from the opera Griselda, in which the young and distressed heroine Costanza contemplates her destiny, torn between love and duties. Fortunately, love conquers in the end.
The Finnish Baroque Orchestra feels the most at home in Vivaldi’s colourful concertos. The string concertos of the night are from the remarkable collection L'estro armonico, The Harmonic Inspiration, which was Vivaldi’s first printed concerto collection. It was the starting point for the Vivaldi fever that spread to England and Germany and had numerous composers reproduce his pioneering musical form, the concerto.
Duration: 1 h 45 min (incl. intermission)
Petteri Pitko introduces the concert at the House of Nobility on 9 November from 18–18.30.