Adrian Chandler and La Serenissima, with virtuoso soloist mezzo-soprano Sally Bruce-Payne, continue their enlightening exploration of the music of Vivaldi focusing on two contrasting eras of the composer’s Venetian operatic career.

Vivaldi specialists Adrian Chandler’s and La Serenissima’s hallmark qualities of erudition combined with crowd-pleasing performances have made them one of the best-selling and acclaimed period-instrument bands performing today. Recently their Gramophone Award winning album Vivaldi: The French Connection (AV2178) topped a Forbes list of How to Build a Top Quality Classical Music Library. Their last release, Venice by Night (AV2257) made the Top Ten of the UK Specialist Classical Chart.

Their 11th release for Avie, Vivaldi: A Tale of Two Seasons once again presents the Red Priest in an engaging and fascinating light. Focusing on two Venetian operatic seasons of 1717 and 1733, the enlightening program juxtaposes the work of an eager young man with that of an older, more cunning composer who had adapted his music to that of the fashionable Neapolitan style.

Track listing:

Violin Concerto, RV 191 in C major

Quel rossor che in volto miri (from Montezuma)

In mezzo alla procella (from Motezuma)

Concerto In B Flat Major RV 367

Concerto for Violin “Il Grosso Mogul” in D major RV 208

Ferri, ceppi, sangue, morte (from L'incoronazione di Dario)

Io sento in questo seno (from Arsilda Regina di Ponto)

Sentirò fra ramo (from L'incoronazione di Dario)

Sinfonia to L'Incoronazione di Dario RV719 for strings & continuo