Antonio Vivaldi wrote the baroque opera Il Giustino in 1724 for the carnival season in Rome and the opera premiered at the Teatro Capranica where a papal ban only allowed males to perform.
Many of his compositions were written to be performed by an all-female music ensemble made up of residents of the Ospedale della Pietà, a convent established in Venice for orphaned or abandoned children. Vivaldi worked there as a Catholic priest for over a year and then joined the staff as a “master of violin,” eventually rising to the rank of concertmaster. He was employed at Pietà from 1703 to 1715 and from 1723 to 1740.
"Il Giustino" was released last week as part of the ongoing Vivaldi Edition series on Naïve Classique. Conducted by Ottavio Dantone, and featuring Delphine Galou, Emőke Baráth, Silke Gang, Verónica Cangemi and Emiliano Gonzales Toro performing with Accademia Bizantina.
