In a programme dedicated to recorder concertos, the name of Antonio Vivaldi is an indispensable reference: the author of an impressive number of concertos, well beyond the famous Four Seasons, Vivaldi shaped a language that profoundly marked 18th-century Europe. Alongside him, composers such as Georg Philipp Telemann, Johann Friedrich Fasch and Giovanni Battista Sammartini were able to offer original and refined interpretations of the concerto form, in an extraordinary variety of styles and formal solutions. It is perhaps surprising that the recorder, often considered an instrument with a limited repertoire, should have been the vehicle for such a rich and international production, capable of reflecting different national identities and, at the same time, an authentically European spirit, even verging on the galant style. This programme thus highlights, together, the concerto as a musical form and the recorder as solo instrument, revealing its expressive breadth and vitality. At the heart of this project is also the theme of cultural exchange between Italy and the Netherlands: many of Vivaldi's works were published in Amsterdam at the beginning of the 18th century by the famous publisher Estienne Roger, spreading rapidly throughout Europe and profoundly influencing the musical taste of the time. More than three hundred years later, this ideal dialogue is renewed in the encounter between the flutist Teun Wisse and the Ensemble Locatelli, an artistic partnership born of a shared passion for this repertoire and matured through concerts in various European countries, culminating in a programme designed to celebrate Vivaldi and the immediate and communicative pleasure of a music that, then as now, thrives on energy, exchange and shared joy.

Locatelli Ensemble: FLAUTISSIMO

Gaetano Donizetti Theater

Virtuosity, pathos and theatricality come together in “Anime in lotta”, a recital for countertenor dedicated to the most intense and passionate arias by Georg Friedrich Händel and Antonio Vivaldi, two giants of European Baroque theatre. The protagonist of this musical journey is Nicolò Balducci, a young Italian countertenor of extraordinary sensitivity and stage presence, already appreciated for his refined timbre and communicative power.

Struggling souls

Among the highest peaks of Western music, Messiah by Georg Friedrich Händel occupies a unique place, for expressive force, dramatic power and spiritual depth. Composed in just twenty-four days in the summer of 1741, to a libretto based entirely on biblical texts, this oratorio has become a universal symbol, loved and performed all over the world.

Thomas Chigioni

Events

Upcoming events

Jul 4, 2026

Locatelli Ensemble: FLAUTISSIMO · Fondazione Teatro Donizetti

Sep 26, 2026

Struggling souls · Fondazione Teatro Donizetti

Dec 19, 2026

Messiah · Fondazione Teatro Donizetti

Future and recently performed repertoire

Conductor in Messiah by Handel

Fondazione Teatro Donizetti

Conductor in Flute Concerto in G minor by Vivaldi

Fondazione Teatro Donizetti

Conductor in Recorder Concerto by Telemann

Fondazione Teatro Donizetti

Conductor in Recorder Concerto in F major by Fasch

Fondazione Teatro Donizetti

Conductor in Recorder Concerto in C minor by Vivaldi

Fondazione Teatro Donizetti

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