In his famous 1720 pamphlet Il teatro alla moda, composer Benedetto Marcello satirized what he saw as "excesses" in the new style of Venetian opera espoused by Vivaldi and others. Each of the qualities he mocked, from cadenzas and virtuoso variations to the addition of popular dances and sound effects, has provided inspiration for the works on this new release from Amandine Beyer and Gli incogniti. Vivaldi's experiments - his spontaneity, his striking juxtapositions and contrasts - are key to the gloriously theatrical flavor of his instrumental music.
