Baroque composer Antonio Vivaldi’s symphonic pieces are as wild as his red hair (for which he was called “The Red Priest”). As the 28th Vivaldi by Candlelight’s curtain rises, the audience—in the gorgeous First Presbyterian Church—will hear Sinfonia in C Major performed by the Vivaldi Virtuosi Ensemble under the direction of Utah Symphony Associate Concertmaster Gerald Elias. Later, the dark Concerto in A Minor for Cello will again demonstrate Vivaldi’s excellence at composing for strings, an outcome of lifelong asthma and his inability to play woodwinds.
However, that limitation doesn’t translate to the show, which includes air-driven numbers like Telemann’s Concerto in D Major for Horn with guest Ronald Beitel. There are also highlights from Handel’s opera Giulio Cesare—originally composed for castrati singers—featuring soloist mezzo-soprano Stina Eberhardt, who has enough lung capacity to blow out all of the event’s candles. The concert is a benefit for Utah Council for Citizen Diplomacy.
Vivaldi by Candlelight @ First Presbyterian Church, 12 C St., Dec. 18, 8 p.m., 801-832-3270, $40. UtahDiplomacy.org
