Few baroque composers were ever able to create work as sunny as joyous as Vivaldi did in this beloved Gloria. The contrast of mood throughout the work as it moves through the drama of the Mass to its satisfying double final movement shows the composer at the height of his powers.Vivaldi composed this work in Venice in about 1715 during his fruitful time at the Ospedale della Piet . In his lifetime this priest composer and virtuoso Violinist achieved enormous musical success. Considering his great popularity in the modern era it is difficult to believe that public appreciation of his work declined after his death and that the Gloria languished undiscovered forcenturies. It wasn’t until 1957 that the restored work was heard again in its entirety. Since that time this moving and joyous Gloria has been recorded more than one hundred times and perennially appears on concert series around the world.
