Vivaldi cantata gems get fine polishing

03:55, 6 April 2014 by Dick O'Riordan

Vivaldi Cantatas

Deirdre Moynihan and Ensemble Nota Velata

One could be forgiven for believing Vivaldi was a one-hit wonder, yet there was much more to him than the Four Seasons, and that's why Deirdre Moynihan's first CD, titled Vivaldi Cantatas, is such a nice surprise. The Cork soprano has spotted a niche and gone for it wholeheartedly, with enchanting results.

Vivaldi composed 40 cantatas, a genre in three or four parts which alternate di capo arias and recitative. Of five cantatas here, the best known are All-ombra b'un faggio and Lungi dal vago volto, both expressions of yearning and unrequited love.

Moynihan sings with clarity and warmth, delightfully capturing the rich flavour of Vivaldi's vivid music imagination. There are formidable vocal challenges, but all overcome with confidence. Accompaniment by the baroque ensemble Nota Velata is perfectly weighted and never over-powerful or intrusive. (It's noteworthy that Moynihan founded the Nota Veleta in 2012 in order to perform and record rarely heard treasures).

When not teaching or composing in the Ospedale della Pieta , the Red Priest had a particular fascination for shepherdesses on the hillsides around Venice. He even mentions many by name - beautiful Elvira, cruel Irene, Lucinda with her lovely face, and Eurilla lying on the grass. Nor does he hide his desires, but that's another matter.