Vivaldi’s Gloria was written in 1715 for the famous all-female ensembles of Venice’s Ospedale della Pietà. During Vivaldi’s time teaching at this orphanage (1703-40), the Pietà developed an international reputation for its private concerts, presented exclusively by the young women who were educated there.
Around 1720, Agatha, a baby born without fingers on her left hand, was passed through the small revolving door (called a scaffetta) in the orphanage’s exterior wall. She went on to become a star student, performing as a soprano soloist and composing cantatas. Her compositions have remained hidden to this day as fragments in a Venice library. Some 280 years later, the ACC will perform her Cantata for the first time outside the walls of the Venice orphanage. Learn more about Agatha’s Cantata.
Melbourne novelist, Christine Balint’s new book, Water Music, won the 2021 Viva la Novella Prize. Drawing on archival research in Venice, Water Music tells the story of a young girl growing up and learning music in a Venetian orphanage. Your ticket to the concert admits you to Christine’s pre-concert talk at 1.45PM preceding each concert (excepting Terang). Signed copies of the book are available through the ACC. Buy your copy by clicking here and we will post it out to you. Or book your seat (below) and add a voucher to exchange for your copy at the concert.
PROGRAM
Francesco Durante (1684–1755) Magnificat (formerly attributed to Pergolesi)
Christine McCombe (born, Melbourne, 1967) Power in Stillness (2021) First performance
Agata della Pietà (c.1720–c.1780) Cantata First performance
Antonio Vivaldi (1678–1741) Gloria
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