JULY 10, 2019 @ 7:00 PM
Venice Baroque Orchestra
Antonio Vivaldi, (1678-1741) Sinfonia in C Major for strings and basso continuo, from “L’Olimpiade”, RV 725
Allegro, Andante, Allegro —
George Frideric Handel, (1685-1759) Concerto grosso in G major, Op.6 n.1, HWV 319
A tempo giusto, Allegro, Adagio, Allegro, Allegro —
Tomaso Albinoni, (1671-1751) Concerto in G major for strings and basso continuo, Op. VII, No. 4
Allegro, Largo, Allegro —
Antonio Vivaldi, (1678-1741) Concerto in E minor for violin, strings and basso continuo, RV 273
Allegro non molto, Largo, Allegro, Gianpiero Zanocco, violin —
INTERMISSION
Benedetto Marcello (1686-1739) Sinfonia in G major for strings and basso continuo
Presto, Largo, Prestissimo —
Antonio Vivaldi, (1678-1741) Concerto for cello, strings and basso continuo in A minor, RV 419
Allegro, Andante, Allegro, Massimo Raccanelli – Cello —
Francesco Geminiani, (1687-1762) Concerto grosso in D minor, H.143, “La Follia” (after A. Corelli Op. V n.12), (1729)
Adagio, Allegro, Adagio, Vivace, Allegro, Andante, Allegro, Adagio, Adagio, Allegro,Adagio, Allegro —
Antonio Vivaldi, (1678-1741) Concerto in C major for recorder and strings, RV 443
(Allegro), Largo, Allegro molto, Anna Fusek, Soprano Recorder —
Soloists: Anna Fusek – Recorder, Gianpiero Zanocco -Violin, Massimo Raccanelli – Cello
**The performance of this evening’s Venice Baroque Orchestra is dedicated to the memory of Ellin N. London, 1923-2019, an ardent, devoted and generous supporter of our concert series.**
WQXR HOST: Annie Bergen
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
VENICE BAROQUE ORCHESTRA
Founded in 1997 by Baroque scholar and harpsichordist Andrea Marcon, the Venice Baroque Orchestra is recognized as one of the very finest period instrument ensembles. The Orchestra has received wide critical acclaim for its concert and opera performances throughout North America, Europe, South America, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and China, and has appeared in many more cities across the United States than any other Baroque orchestra in history.
Committed to the rediscovery of 17th- and 18th-century masterpieces, under Mr. Marcon’s leadership VBO has given the modern-day premieres of Francesco Cavalli’s L’Orione, Vivaldi’s Atenaide, Andromeda liberata, Benedetto Marcello’s La morte d’Adone and Il trionfo della poesia e della musica, and Boccherini’s La Clementina. With Teatro La Fenice in Venice, the Orchestra has staged Cimarosa’s L’Olimpiade, Handel’s Siroe, and Galuppi’s L’Olimpiade, and reprised Siroe at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in New York in its first full staging in the United States. The orchestra has been seen worldwide through several television specials, including films by the BBC, ARTE, NTR (Netherlands), and NHK. They are the subject of three recent video recordings, and their performances were also featured on Swiss TV in the documentary film by Richard Dindo, Vivaldi in Venice.
In 2018 VBO embarked on two tours with countertenor Franco Fagioli, with concerts in London, Ljubljana, Versailles, Japan and China. The Orchestra’s annual US tour featured Anna Fusek on recorders. Recent festival appearances included Enescu Festival with mezzo-soprano Magdalena Kožená, Grafenegg with harpist Xavier de Maistre, and Schleswig Holstein with mandolinist Avi Avital.
Recent seasons included performances of Vivaldi’s Juditha triumphans at Carnegie Hall, London’s Barbican Centre, and Brussels’ Palais des Beaux-Arts, marking the occasion of the 300th anniversary of the oratorio’s premiere in Venice; performances with violinist Viktoria Mullova at Vienna’s Musikverein and in Budapest; an 18-city tour of the US featuring violinist Nicola Benedetti; and a tour of Japan with mandolinist Avi Avital. The orchestra has toured Europe, the United States, and Asia with collaborators such as countertenor Philippe Jaroussky, contralto Marie-Nicole Lemieux, Avi Avital, soprano Karina Gauvin, Magdalena Kožená, and violinist Robert McDuffie (in a tour featuring the world premiere of Philip Glass’ violin concerto The American Four Seasons).
The Orchestra’s latest recording, featuring Avi Avital in Vivaldi concertos, was released by Deutsche Grammophon. The previous recording, featuring Philippe Jaroussky in Porpora arias on the Erato label, received a Grammy nomination. The 2012 release on Naïve, a pasticcio of Metastasio’s L’Olimpiade featuring the recording premieres of many 18th-century opera arias, was awarded Choc du Monde de la Musique. The VBO has an extensive discography with Sony and Deutsche Grammophon. Their world-premiere recording of Andromeda liberata for DG was followed by violin concertos with Giuliano Carmignola; Vivaldi sinfonias and concertos for strings; Vivaldi motets and arias with soprano Simone Kermes, two discs with Ms. Kožená—Handel arias and Vivaldi arias; Vivaldi violin concertos with Viktoria Mullova and Mr. Carmignola, and Italian arias with Ms. Petibon. The Orchestra’s earlier discography on Sony with Mr. Carmignola includes The Four Seasons, previously unrecorded Vivaldi concertos, and a collection of Bach arias featuring Angelika Kirchschlager. The Orchestra has also been honored with the Diapason d’Or, Echo Award, and the Edison Award.
The Venice Baroque Orchestra is supported by Fondazione Cassamarca in Treviso.
SOLOISTS
ANNA FUSEK
Anna Fusek is a phenomenon lauded equally by audience and press. Born in Prague and raised in Germany, she crosses musical boundaries as well receiving international acclaim: She has conquered concert halls all over the world playing no less than three different instruments. As a soloist she tours with renowned orchestras such as Venice Baroque Orchestra or Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin. Recorder player Anna Fusek has secured her part in today’s musical life. Much to concert goers’ surprise and delight though she lays aside the recorder while they are applauding in order to pick up the violin to continue her performance on that instrument. She has also appeared numerous times on stage as a concert pianist and so she is pursuing the baroque tradition of the versatile musician.
In Jan Bosse’s much lauded production of “Calisto” by Cavalli her versatility was hailed by audiences both at Theater Basel and the Frankfurt Opera: In the role of Amor she alluringly bowed the strings of her violin, winded love melodies and jinxed the ensemble by playing the piano. Audiences were spellbound.
Her huge range benefits all of her projects: The gracious musician inspires through her joy of playing and deep musicality, as the French Muse Baroque (le magazine de la musique baroque) described a concert: “really incredible performance of Anna Fusek that sent electric shock waves through the evening.“
GIANPIERO ZANOCCO
A member of the Venice Baroque Orchestra since 2003, violinist Gianpiero Zanocco has performed as concertmaster with the orchestra throughout Europe, Asia and the United States. A frequent soloist with VBO, he performs also with I Sonatori della Gioiosa Marca, L’Arte dell’Arco, and Il Pomo d’Oro. Mr. Zanocco has recorded for Deutsche Grammophon, Warner Classics, Amadeus, Brilliant, ORT.
A native of Castelfranco Veneto where he studied violin with Michele Lot and graduated with honors from the conservatory Agostino Steffani, Mr. Zanocco won several competitions, including first prize at the Mario Benvenuti Violin Competition in Vittorio Veneto, first prize at the International Chamber Music Competition Città di Minerbio and first prize at the Carlo Soliva International Music Contest. He performs Classical repertoire for violin and fortepiano with Anna Fusek, with whom he recently recorded a CD devoted to Mozart’s sonatas.
MASSIMO RACCANELLI
Born in Treviso, Italy, Massimo Raccanelli was graduated from the Conservatorio di Castelfranco Veneto in the class of Walter Vestidello. Further studies were with Mario Brunello and Antonio Meneses.
He performs in several Baroque ensembles including Sonatori della Gioiosa Marca, Il Pomo d’Oro, Opera Stravagante and Concerto München, and has collaborated with many chamber music groups, collaborating with leading artists including Andrea Marcon, Mario Brunello, Stefano Montanari, Sonig Thakerian, and Piero Toso. Mr. Raccanelli has played with the Venice Baroque Orchestra since 2011, performing as continuo player and soloist in some of the most prestigious concert halls, including Queen Elizabeth Hall (London), Victoria Hall (Genéve), Théåtre des Champs-Elysées, Palais des Beaux-Arts (Brussels), Tokyo Opera Hall, Onassis Center (Athens), Marinskii Theater (St. Petersburg), and Carnegie Hall. He is the cellist of VenEthos Ensemble, a string quartet performing on original instruments.
In 2016 he graduated in Conducting in the class of Bruno Weil at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater München. Mr. Raccanelli has conducted productions of Mozart and Pergolesi operas, the world premiere of Das Große Lächeln by Wilfried Hiller, as well as several orchestras and Baroque ensembles.