Vivaldi: Flautino Concerto in C major, RV443

Aside from his numerous flute concertos (including the six of the famous Op. 10), Vivaldi's catalogue includes three unpublished concerti for ottavino (piccolo) without opus number (the autograph manuscripts are to be found in the Turin Library), which are practically unique in Italian Baroque music. For this unusual soloist, Vivaldi 'imposes runs of great volubility and perilous breaks' (Marc Pincherle) in his allegros whilst also revealing, in the slow movements, 'the instrument’s unsuspected expressive possibilities'.

Even though not initially written for piccolo, the other three concertos that round out this programme are particularly well suited to the instrument. The one in A minor (P. 77) was originally a concerto da camera for recorder, two violins - in a tight dialogue with intentionally parallel parts - and bass. The Concerto in C minor (P. 440) had also been written for recorder whereas the Concerto for two flutes in C major (P. 76) called for two transverse flutes. All three feature two particularly nimble and voluble - even spectacular - fast movements flanking a mysterious, questioning or serene nocturnal cantilena. But, in addition, each one takes on a clearly pronounced character: playful and mischievous in the case of the Concerto in A minor, dramatic for the one in C minor, and festive and cheerful in the Concerto for two flutes.

Piers Adams is widely regarded as one of the greatest recorder players of our time. He has been heralded as ‘a dazzling virtuoso star’ (BBC Music Magazine), ‘staggering’ (Gramophone), ‘intensely musical and astonishingly colorful’ (Pittsburg Tribune Review), and ‘the reigning recorder virtuoso in the world today’ (Washington Post).

Piers has worked tirelessly to develop the recorder’s repertoire and reputation as a serious solo instrument, in particular through his researches into forgotten corners of the instrument’s repertoire, and his numerous arrangements and transcriptions from a wide range of genres.

In 1997 Piers founded his now world-renowned baroque quartet Red Priest, with whom he has toured the globe several times, performing over 1000 concerts on four continents in some of the most prestigious music festivals. The group has appeared frequently on TV and radio – including hour long televised features on LWT’s The South Bank Show (UK) – and recorded several acclaimed discs on Red Priest Recordings.

The Vivaldi CD is a 1988 recording previously released on Collins Classics and Cala United. The Handel CD is a 1989 recording previously released on Factory Records.

This production features seven "Concerti per flauto" by Antonio Vivaldi, perhaps the most famous Italian Baroque composer of all.

Thanks to the discovery of Bartolomeo Bismantova’s manuscript treatise "Compendio Musicale" of 1677 and the performers’ extraordinarily spirited music-making, Vivaldi's works can now be heard with a new freshness. No fewer than six differently bored and tuned instruments were used, and they cast a surprising new light on Vivaldi's world of sounds.

This recording presents pieces freely transcribed by both composers, with particular attention to Bach compositions drawn from the original Vivaldi repertoire. The ensemble Quartetto Icarus is well suited to the polyphonic writing by these two Baroque composers.

Mexico after the Spanish arrived saw a great deal of European art and culture being imported, including music from the great centres such as Venice. Not having harpsichords to hand, it became usual to use local instruments, vihuela and guitarron, for continuo. This policy is used here, and the sharp clear sound of the strings with the rhythmic base gives these works a new impetus and vitality. The Vivaldi pieces are fairly well known but the fine concertos by Facco were only discovered relatively recently.