Márta Ábrahám & Ábrahám Consort Presented by Liszt Academy

During his years in Italy between 1706 and 1710, Georg Friedrich Händel became acquainted with the key genres and masters of Italian music. The influence of Corelli and others is evident in Händel’s later works in England, particularly in the Concerto Grossos composed in 1739. Johann Sebastian Bach never visited Italy but studied the works of several major contemporaries - especially Antonio Vivaldi - during the 1710s. The concerto form, consisting of alternating ritornellos and solo sections performed by the orchestra, left a profound mark on his artistry, not only in the concertos he composed in Weimar and Köthen, but also in his large-scale compositions such as the Leipzig Cantatas and Passions. Antonio Vivaldi was regarded by his contemporaries not only as a composer but also as a virtuoso violinist. It is no surprise, therefore, that his works are characterized by both singing melodicism and the brilliant mastery of instrumental technique. Several of his violin concertos bear titles or nicknames, with Il favorito reportedly being one of the favorite musical pieces of Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor (Charles III, King of Hungary).