Vivaldi in the Vines: an Easter Celebration
Australia’s oldest early-music ensemble, Adelaide Baroque, returns with new impetus in 2023 with a four concert Orchestral Series and a five concert Explorations Series, before finishing the year with their first full performance of Handel’s Messiah, in collaboration with Anthony Hunt and the choir of St Peter’sCathedral, in what will be a first performance of the Messiah on historical instruments in Adelaide.
2023 marks a turning point for Adelaide Baroque. With a proud history of more than 45 years of presenting baroque music on period instruments in Adelaide, interstate and overseas, this year sees a handing over from two of the major driving forces, Frank May and (founder) Lynton Rivers, to new management led by Peter McBean as Chair.
The 4th Orchestral Series concert is entitled Vivaldi at the Opera Arias for Zelim and will be performed onFriday 17 November at 7.30pm in St Francis Cathedral, Adelaide; Saturday 18 November at 7.30pm inSt Aloysius Church, Sevenhill and on Sunday 19 November at 2.30pm in the Burra Uniting Church, Burra. Michael Burden, countertenor will be the guest soloist. Vivaldi is best known for his instrumental concerti like the ‘Four Seasons’ but was also a very successful composer of sacred choral music and Opera. By his own calculation he composed 94 operas; scholars have identified almost 50, and of these less than half survive. ‘La verità in cimento’ was premiered during the carnival in Venice in 1720 and is full of twists and turns in the court of the Sultan Mamud. The Castrati arias for the character Zelim, one of Mamud’s sons are some of the most sublime in all of Vivaldi’s Opera oeuvre.
Bringing their concert year to a close on Saturday 22 and Sunday 23 December Adelaide Baroque will present their first full performance of Handel’s Messiah in collaboration with Anthony Hunt and the choir of St Peter’s.
