Cecilia Bartoli & Il Giardino Armonico - “Viva Vivaldi!“ [Théatre des Champs-Elysées, Paris,

Certainly more than just the composer of the “Four Seasons“, we all know that Antonio Vivaldi (1678 - 1743) also wrote hundreds of largely famous and wonderful instrumental works, and his glorious church music is well known. But it wasn’t until recent decades that his wonderful operas - of which he is said to have written more than fifty - were resurrected. In this now famous concert held at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées in Paris in 2000 (here in its full-length), the talented and world-renowned italian mezzo-soprano Cecilia Bartoli together with Italian period music ensemble Il Giardino Armonico just presents beautiful and rare or lesser known arias from Vivaldi’s operas. Ably backed by instrumentalists including violinist Marco Bianchi, lutist Luca Pianca, oboe player Maria Grazia d’Alessio, and flautino (recorder) soloist Giovanni Antonini - who also acts as the conductor - the gorgeous mezzo-soprano with her spectacular vocal pyrotechnics gives a voice to a great c