Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, I Virtuosi dell’opera di Roma
I Virtuosi dell’opera di Roma breathes new life into The Four Seasons by Antonio Vivaldi in a concert given by specialists in the interpretation of classical-operatic music. The orchestra was formed by professors who teach at the most prestigious Italian conservatories and the ensemble for this event, consisting of a string quintet and a harpsichordist, is made up of selected musicians only. The programme highlights the baroque genius of Vivaldi's most renowned work, first published in 1725 in Amsterdam, and includes other notable sacred music for strings. The chosen venue is the prestigious Basilica of San Nicola in Carcere, a medieval church in the heart of Rome that is well-suited to such an intimate musical presentation.
The first piece on the programme, which may be subject to change, is Adagio in G minor by Tomaso Albinoni, a work with a beautifully slow, solemn pace that explains why it has been used frequently in film scores. It has a chequered provenance, and some musical scholars now think it may have been written in the 20th century by Remo Giazotto, who claimed it to be an Albinoni work. The next music on the programme is Ave Maria by Franz Schubert. It was composed in 1825 as part of Schubert's setting for a song which had been inspired by the popular 1810 narrative poem by Sir Walter Scott, The Lady of the Lake. It is likely to have been first performed privately the same year that Schubert completed it.
Johann Sebastian Bach's Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring, follows. It is a powerful chorale taken from the cantata BWV 147 which the composer wrote in 1723 to mark the Visitation Feast. Another musical interpretation of Ave Maria is next on the bill, this time Charles Gounod's Romantic-era version, originally published in 1853, which was based on Bach's Prelude No. 1 in C major, BWV 846. The opening section of the concert closes with another Bach-inspired work, Air on the G String, a 19th-century violin arrangement by August Wilhelmj. The German violinist rearranged the piece such that its melody could be played from start to finish on the violin’s lowest string, offering a deep, rich tonal quality throughout.
The second part of the concert by I Virtuosi dell’opera di Roma features The Four Seasons, a glorious quartet of concerti for violin and string orchestra that collectively represent scenes of nature, each inspired by a season of the year. Vivaldi wrote them when he served as a court composer in Mantua, each concerto following a three-movement pattern that generates a sense of balance. With The Four Seasons, Vivaldi captured the essence of each part of the year in the minds of 18th-century music lovers. Today, it remains one of the most universally recognised and beloved works in the classical music repertoire.
All the magic of The Four Seasons and the other pieces on the programme unfold at the medieval Basilica of San Nicola in Carcere, one of Rome’s oldest churches. Dating back to the 6th century, it was built on the site of the ancient Forum Holitorium, where three Roman temples had once stood. The original structure was replaced by a church dedicated to Saint Nicholas - the name 'in carcere' refers to the fact that the ancient temples had been transformed into prisons in mediaeval times. Most of what can be seen today is due to the almost full reconstruction undertaken by Giacomo della Porta at the end of the 16th century, despite some other restorations that have also been completed since then. The church is a historical venue perfect for such a delightful musical performance.