Various Composers - Vivaldi in Prague (Robert Rawson)

Information

• Antonio Vivaldi - Praga nascente da Libussa e Primislao (Prague, 1734): Aria. La Cervetta
• Antonin Reichenauer - Concerto for Violin, Strings & B.C. in C Minor
• Antonio Vivaldi - Il confronto dell'amor coniugale (Prague 1727): Aria. We are cheerful, and sing
• Antonio Vivaldi - Concerto per Morzin, for Bassoon, Strings & B.C. RV 496
• Antonio Vivaldi - Argippo RV 697-B (Prague 1730): Aria. Gelido in ogni vena
• Antonin Reichenauer - Concerto for Oboe, Bassoon, Strings & B.C. Rk 16
• Frantisek Antonín Mica - The Four Elements (1734): As the flame rises up
• Frantisek Jiránek - Concerto for Violin, Strings & B.C in D Minor
• Antonin Reichenauer - Cantata de B.V.M. ad Montem Sanctum "Quae est ista"

Hana Blažiková, soprano

Ciara Hendrick, contralto

Tim Dickinson, bass

The Harmonious Society of Tickle-Fiddle Gentlemen

Robert Rawson, conductor

Date: 2026

Label: Accent

_____________________

The production Vivaldi in Prague explores the vibrant eighteenth-century musical exchange between Venice and Prague, initiated through the patronage of Count Wenzel von Morzin, dedicatee of Antonio Vivaldi’s famous Four Seasons. This cultural connection, strengthened when Morzin employed Vivaldi as maestro di musica italiano, fostered a generation of Czech composers influenced by the Venetian style. The programme features works by František Jiránek and Antonín Reichenauer, both shaped by Vivaldi’s circle, alongside a bassoon concerto dedicated to Morzin and operatic excerpts performed in Prague in the eighteenth century. It also includes reconstructed arias from Vivaldi pasticcios arranged by Antonio Denzio, highlighting the adaptation of Venetian opera for Czech audiences. Together, the selection illustrates a dynamic dialogue between Italian and Central European musical traditions.

The Harmonious Society of Tickle-Fiddle Gentlemen is a historically informed performance ensemble recognized for its lively and imaginative approach to early music. Praised by BBC Radio 3 as “purveyors of uplifting and exhilarating music” and listed by Bachtrack among “the world’s finest,” the group focuses on rediscovering overlooked repertoire with scholarly rigor and expressive vitality. They have appeared at major European festivals including the Festival Oude Muziek Utrecht, the Regensburg Tage Alter Musik, and the Valletta International Baroque Festival, among others. Their recordings of world premiere works have earned significant critical acclaim, including the Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik, MusicWeb’s “Recording of the Year,” and recognition from Gramophone as one of the best classical recordings of 2024.

Robert Rawson is a British musician and scholar specializing in historically informed performance, combining academic research with active performance and conducting. He studied double bass and viola da gamba at the University of Michigan, later completing a PhD at Royal Holloway, University of London, and trained with prominent musicians including Stuart Sankey, Enid Sutherland, and Sarah Cunningham. He performs widely across Europe as a bassist and viol player and is closely associated with the ensemble The Harmonious Society of Tickle-Fiddle Gentlemen, where he integrates scholarship and performance practice. A former research fellow at both the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge, he is currently Professor of Historically Informed Performance and Musicology at Canterbury Christ Church University.