L'Estro Armonico a-Moll op. 3/8 RV 522, P 2, F I/177

The 12 violin concertos Op. 3 L'Estro Armonico laid the foundations of Antonio Vivaldi's fame in the whole of Europe and are still among the most popular works by the Italian composer. The Double Concerto in A minor Op. 3/8 can certainly be regarded as one of the most mature and exciting concertos in Vivaldi's entire oeuvre: His mixture of cantability and delight in playing, his passionate concertising in the outer movements and his rapt dialogising over an ostinato bass in the Larghetto e spiritoso have always fascinated both the audience and the experts. The present publication is based on the critical new edition by Christopher Hogwood, containing the original versions of both violin parts and providing a piano score free of any Romantic overload.