It is remarkable that concertos by Vivaldi are still awaiting their first recordings, and this CD programmes 8 ‘solemn’ concertos. Solemn in this context usually meant a slow introduction, acting as a prelude to the following 3 movements. Vivaldi was a master at creating concertos from other works, and these were known as ‘pasticcio’ concertos. For example, sinfonias or overtures to his many operas provided a happy hunting ground for such concertos.

To illustrate how adept Vivaldi was at turning existing works to new uses, the finale of RV197 was originally the double fugue from the overture to the serenata La senna festeggiante RV693. This had in turn been adapted by Vivaldi from the closing section of Lotti’s Moralita d’una perla. The opening movement of RV155 was reused by Vivaldi for his Salve Regina RV618.

The tradition of pasticcio concertos arranged from other composer’s works was common practice at the Dresden court, where the director was Johann Georg Pisendal, a pupil of Vivaldi. Many movements by Vivaldi were found among the manuscripts in Dresden, and form the basis for these reconstructions.