Remarkably Attractive

A rare London concert
by Schola Pietatis Antonio Vivaldi,
reviewed by ROBERT HUGILL

The Schola Pietatis Antonio Vivaldi was founded in 2005 to re-create the sound of Vivaldi's choir of Foundlings at the Ospedale della Pieta in Venice. The group is supported by the work of Micky White, who lives and researches at the Pieta. White has discovered sufficient documentation for us to be confident that Vivaldi's all-female choir included female tenors and basses. To this end the Schola Pietatis Antonio Vivaldi uses a choir of some 25 women which includes four basses and five tenors.

The choir has recorded at the Pieta, their performances being broadcast by BBC Four and BBC Radio 3. But on Sunday 7 January 2007 it made a rare concert appearance in London, performing the programme Vivaldi's Women at a concert in St George's Church, Bloomsbury.

The choir was accompanied by a ensemble of ten instrumentalists playing one to a part, directed from the harpsichord by Richard Vendome. All singers and instrumentalists wore costumes based on those worn by the foundlings at the Pieta. The singers performed from memory.

Before the concert started Richard Vendome gave a short talk on Vivaldi's choir and demonstrated the sounds of the various voice types.

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