Vivaldi: Concertos for Bassoon, Strings, and B.c.

Antonio Vivaldi's bassoon concertos are, after the violin concertos, the most extensive collection of solo concertos in Vivaldi’s oeuvre: no fewer than 39 have survived, and only two of them are incomplete. Apart from these details, as Cesare Fertonani recently remarked, "Vivaldi’s extraordinary understanding of the technical possibilities of the bassoon is remarkable, reflected in his avant-garde treatment of the instrument, which acquires the full and magnificent dignity of a soloist, and in his intuition, which is probably unparalleled in the history of music as far as its expressive potential is concerned." Paolo Carlini is the soloist for this selection of some of the most important concertos that Vivaldi composed for this instrument. He is accompanied by the famous orchestra "Virtuosi Italiani," led by Alberto Martini as concertmaster.