Vivaldi’s Venice

The Little Orchestra Society presents a special celebration of Antonio Vivaldi’s great works and features the American premiere of his recently discovered Dixit Dominus. Guest artists include Metropolitan Singers/The Greek Choral Society and Australian violinist, Asmira Woodward-Page.

Vivaldi’s Venice celebrates eighteenth spectacular years this season. In 1990, consistent with its mandate to restore long-neglected masterpieces to the contemporary concert repertoire, the Orchestra began an annual festival to showcase the works of Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741) in the context of 18th-century Venice, and in the dynamic style of the composer. After over 200 Vivaldi works, many of them American premieres, the series has admirably achieved its mission.

Music Director Dino Anagnost, The Little Orchestra Society and distinguished artists have presented over 100 concertos which featured outstanding instrumentalists, arias and overtures from 20 operas, 21 choral works (including Vespers and Dixit), 15 cantatas and motets (sacred and secular), the complete oratorio, Juditha Triumphans, and the American premiere of the serenata La Senna Festeggiante, American premieres of Arsilda, regina di Ponto, L’Olimpiade and Tamerlano, with the assistance of Vivaldi opera authority Dr. Eric Cross, introduced The Little Orchestra Society audiences to Vivaldi, the opera impresario, narrated by stage and screen stars, Claire Bloom, Dana Ivey and Lynn Redgrave.

Programs have also included Bach’s transcriptions for keyboard of Vivaldi’s concertos, as well as rarely performed concertos for unusual instruments like the conch, theorbo, and two salmoes, which were constructed in Austria specifically for Vivaldi’s Venice.

Through its comprehensive presentation of Vivaldi’s work, its attention to style and historical framework, The Little Orchestra Society has become the foremost Vivaldi orchestra in America.