Antonio Vivaldi wrote hundreds of concertos for the girls at a famous orphanage and music academy in Venice in the 18th century, and many of those pieces continue to challenge and help train young musicians today. This Saturday evening, the NMSU Philharmonic will perform Vivaldi’s Violin Concerto in D minor with student Adriel Mendez as the soloist, and one movement of a concerto for two cellos, with student Kateri Bunting performing with her teacher, Jorge Espinoza.
“The reason I like to program Vivaldi is because he has so many concertos, and we only know ‘The Four Seasons.’ It’s really nice to get to know other pieces,” Martinez told Intermezzo host Leora Zeitlin. “Plus, I really have been enjoying the fact that for many of these concertos, I can have our students as soloists. I think this is a great experience for any music student.”
The concert also includes the Divertimento in F by Mozart, a work written “for entertainment,” Martinez said. “Most of the time, this music was played outdoors. And even though it sounds light and easy, it’s challenging and complicated,” adding that all the music in the concert is “beautiful music, uplifting.”
The concert will wrap up with two works by the Argentinian composer and tango master Astor Piazzolla. Angel Ornelas will play the solo in “Oblivion” and the orchestra will play “Adios Nonino."
Listen to hear more about the many styles of music presented, the composers, and the students. The concert takes place on Saturday, February 15, 2025 at 7:30 p.m. at the Atkinson Recital Hall, and is free to the public.
Musical clips:
1.) Concerto in D minor, RV 238, Allegro, by Antonio Vivaldi. Performed by Paul Makanowitzky on violin, and the Chamber Orchestra of the Vienna State Opera, conducted by Vladimir Golschmann (Vanguard #68);
2.) Concerto for two cellos in G minor, RV 531, Allegro, by Vivaldi; Yo-Yo Ma and Jonathan Manson, with the Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra, Ton Koopman conducting (Sony #90916);
3.) Divertimento in F, K. 138, Allegro, by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Moscow Virtuosi, Vladimir Spivakov conducting (RCA #60066);
4.) Oblivion, by Astor Piazzolla. Performed by Anne Akiko Meyers, with the London Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Keith Lockhart (ECM #7792).
