A superb concert by members of the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment (OAE) at the QEH last night, playing the whole of Vivaldi's L'estro armonico ('Harmonic Inspiration'): twelve concertos for one, two and four violins and small string orchestra. Actually two concerts, with an interesting talk by musicologist Richard Maunder between them. Hard work for the OAE leaders – Alison Bury, Kati Debretzeni, Margaret Faultless and Matthew Truscott – who had to perform their virtuoso parts almost continuously for a couple of hours, but a delight for the rest of us. But they did look as if they were enjoying the experience, and there was much swapping around to make sure they each played the right mix of concertos, a nice touch.
Vivaldi wrote L'estro armonico in Venice, of course, and it was published in Amsterdam in 1711. In the programme notes Richard Wigmore says the concertos were written to show off the talents of his pupils at the Pietà, but Richard Maunder insisted in his talk that the players were not good enough at that stage and the concertos were written specifically for publication. 1711 was the year Vivaldi returned to the Pietà after being voted out of his teacher's job by the board of governors a couple of years earlier, so I suspect Maunder is right. Whatever, the music is wonderful.
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