Vivaldi wrote around forty cantatas in the so-called ‘Neapolitan’ style with alternating arias and recitatives. Some, such as All’ombra d’un bel faggio, are in an Arcadian setting, while others – including Allor che lo sguardo – take unrequited love as their theme.

Whatever the context, Vivaldi’s inexhaustible reserves of expressive vocal writing, dance-like rhythms and subtle weaving of instrumental and solo vocal lines are everywhere apparent. With text-setting of such refinement and delicacy, Vivaldi ensures that his music remains at all times balanced and elegant.

More modestly scaled, naturally, than his operas, Vivaldi’s cantatas are less well-known than his orchestral and instrumental music, but they are an important component of his choral writing. Recordings solely made up of Vivaldi’s cantatas can be hard to find!