Amore e Costanza Queen Elizabeth Hall, London 25 November 2004

Porta Sinfonia and arias from La costanza combattuta in amore
Vivaldi Concerto for two violins and cello in G minor RV 578
Vivaldi Duet 'Caro, bella' from Giulio Cesare

Vivaldi Sinfonia from L'Olimpiade
Vivaldi Arias from La costanza trionfante degli amori e de gl'odii
Corelli Concerto Grosso Op. 6 No. 1 in D
Handel Duet 'Nel giorni tuoi felici' from L'Olimpiade

OAE/Rinaldo Alessandrini
Susan Gritton soprano
Sara Mingardo contralto
Catherine Mackintosh/Catherine Weiss violins
Richard Lester cello

A full house greeted the London première of some Vivaldi arias in a collection discovered by David Smith at Berkeley Castle in Gloucestershire and authenticated by Michael Talbot; souvenirs from an unknown Englishman collected travelling in Italy in the early 18 C. There is some learned musicological disputation about them, but the audience came to enjoy unknown, but undemanding, music in a familiar Italianate idiom; the OAE has a loyal following.

There was a bizarre pre-concert interview with Micky White, a Vivaldi scholar from Venice who sought to bring the ensuing event to historical life, treating OAE afficionados like teenagers. Baroque operas at the Ospedale della Pietà were convivial occasions, we learnt, with noisy audiences standing around the musicians, posh people in surrounding boxes. You didn't come in until you heard the overture, a signal that things were beginning. She brought to QEH an orange to remind us that food would be consumed and orange peel and pips thrown about; and proudly displayed a block of rosin that might have been Vivaldi's...... Perhaps they will try putting a baroque opera on in style at The Globe theatre, they thought.

By contrast, the concert was formal and symmetrical, visually and in its musical sequencing; a Sinfonia, a group of arias, a concerto, with a duet to end each half. Contralto Sara Mingardo to the left taking the men's parts in white tie and tails, Susan Gritton to the right resplendent in concert gown; both sat side-stage during the orchestral items. The orchestra was strings and continuo only, which made for a little monotony despite Rinaldo Alessandrini's vigorous direction of his forces. Susan Gritton was in fine, bright voice, singing from a hand-held score; Sara Mingardo sang at a music stand. Her softer-grained contralto was more often inclined to be covered by the accompanying violins; Handel's way in his duet setting ensuring that this never happened, and bringing the evening to a happy conclusion.

The Vivaldi and Corelli concertos and a couple of Handel duets rather eclipsed Porta's music. For non-specialists uninvolved in the detective story it was a pleasant concert, well put over in keen, energetic baroque manner by experts in the genre. There will doubtless be a CD to capitalise on this minor find.