Credits:

Stefan Plewniak

Description:

A collection of hidden masterpieces symbolizing Vivaldi the Cosmopolitan, featuring a complete recording by the leading French early-music ensembleBased in Venice, the City of Water, the virtuoso violinist Antonio Vivaldi helped sustain the splendor of the late Italian Baroque. His influence extended far beyond the Italian peninsula to countries south of the Alps, but his home base of Venice faced constant difficultiesfrom shifting trade routes to the threat of the Ottoman Empireand was plagued by ongoing instability. Furthermore, the rapid pace of changing musical trends, typical of a major musical center, was a constant source of concern even for this great composer. From around the age of 50, Vivaldi shifted his strategy from publishing sheet music to selling one-of-a-kind autograph scores privately at high prices. He transcribed 12 Concertos for Orchestra (Ripieno) for foreign clients, w