Concerto Italiano
Rinaldo Alessandrini harpsichord
Bach and Vivaldi: innovative performances by Concerto Italiano have transformed our perception of 17th and 18th century music
Vivaldi Concerto for Strings RV 156
Bach Sinfonia from Cantate Non sa che sia dolore BWV 209
Vivaldi Concerto for Strings RV 160
Concerto for Traverso RV 440
Concerto for Strings RV 121
Bach Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 BWV 1050
Rinaldo Alessandrini, is a truly protean performer (a harpsichord player, pianist, organist, choirmaster and conductor) who despite a turning to music relatively late has become an expert in early and Baroque repertoire. He founded the Concerto Italiano in 1984 which swiftly established its reputation with Monteverdi’s Madrigals. The verve and profusion of life and colour in this benchmark ensemble also explodes in Vivaldi and Bach. The members, who are also soloists, bring an intensity to the concertos of the “red-haired priest”, which are so familiar yet always different. This programme, with its festive accents, closes with the melodic charm and magnificence of Bach’s popular Brandenburg concerto No. 5, which can be legitimately considered the first ever harpsichord concerto in history by virtue of the impressive cadenza in the first movement.
