IL GIARDINO ARMONICO

Il Giardino Armonico 

Giovanni Antonini, conductor

PROGRAMME

T. Albinoni: Spanish concerto a cinque for strings and basso continuo in C minor, Op. 10 no. 11 / Adagio for two violins and basso continuo / A. Vivaldi: Concerto for flute, strings and basso continuo in F major “La tempesta di mare”, RV 433 / Concerto for flute in C minor, RV 441 / Sonata in E flat major “Al Santo Sepolcro”, RV 130 / “Cum dederit” from Nisi Dominus, RV 608 in transcription for chalumeau, strings and basso continuo / Symphony in B minor “Al Santo Sepolcro”, RV 169 / Concerto for flautino, strings and basso continuo in C major, RV 443 / Tarquinio Merula: «La Piva» from Primo libro delle canzoni a 4, Op.1 no. 11 / Ciaccona for two violins and basso continuo / Giovanni Legrenzi: Fifteenth sonata for strings and basso continuo “La Cetra”, Op. 10 no. 15

Concertos, symphonies and sonatas intertwine in this musical journey through north Italy during the 17th century and the first half of the 18th century, proposed by Giovanni Antonini with his Giardino Armonico. At that time, Venice was one of the leading cities for music. It was the birthplace of Tomaso Albinoni (one of whose adagios is included in the programme) and Antonio Vivaldi, contemporaries and rivals; Giovanni Legrenzi, an important link in the musical chain between Gabrieli and Vivaldi, was also from north Italy. Born close to Bergamo, in 1671, he moved to Venice where he had a significant influence on Vivaldi, who was only 14 when Legrenzi died at the age of 63. And Tarquinio Merula, who marked the transition from the Renaissance to the Baroque. Stylistically a member of the Venetian school, he was one of the key figures in the early development of the modern forms of the cantata and sonata.