Scarlatti St Cecilia Mass & Vivaldi Dixit Dominus

Anonymous

Take three great composers, stir in outstanding singers and dedicated musicians, add a
sprinkling of strawberries and champagne, and the result will be a sparkling summer
concert.
Alessandro Scarlatti (1660–1725) and Antonio Vivaldi (1678–1741) were two giants of
the Italian Baroque period. Their paths never crossed directly, but their musical legacies
offer a fascinating study in contrast and complement. Both were prolific, inventive, and
deeply influential, yet they approached composition from different angles: Scarlatti was
primarily a composer of vocal music, operating at the heart of the Neapolitan operatic
tradition, while Vivaldi, though also an opera composer, is best known for
revolutionising instrumental music, particularly the concerto.
In 1720, at the age of sixty, Alessandro Scarlatti composed the Mass for Saint Cecilia for
the Basilica Santa Cecilia in Rome. Considered to be the crowning achievement of all his
church music, this piece provides a stylistic synthesis of the compositional possibilities
of the early 18th century, in a score brimming with striking contrasts.
Hailing from Venice, and one of the greatest Baroque composers, Antonio Vivaldi,
nicknamed "The Red Priest" because of his red hair, was both a priest and a virtuoso
violinist. He composed three settings of Psalm 110, Dixit Dominus. Tonight’s, RV 595,
is in eleven movements for five soloists, five-part choir and orchestra. This setting is
less well-known and more modest than the flamboyant RV 594, though its charms are
no less endearing and its choral sonority no less compelling.
Seamlessly stitched together from a masterful patchwork of movements drawn from his
earlier operas and cantatas, Handel’s Concerto Grosso Op. 3 No. 2 is notable for its
unique five-movement structure and its wonderfully varied orchestration. Its emotional
heart is a sublime and deeply tragic Largo of breathtaking beauty, which is framed by
movements of brilliant energy and graceful charm, culminating in a magnificent fugal
finale. It is a perfect showcase of Handel's theatrical flair and his genius for creating
profound art from practical means.