The orphan girls of Venice, star musicians of 18th-century Venice, were among the most outstanding performers of Vivaldi’s works. Return to the roots at the Ambronay Festival with an innovative interpretation of the composer’s sacred works by Les Cris de Paris, conducted by Geoffroy Jourdain and an all-female choir. 
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In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, the Venetian ospedali were renowned for the exceptional quality of their concerts. The orphans who performed in them became near-legendary figures. Some of the city’s most celebrated musicians taught there — among them the immensely popular “Red Priest”, Antonio Vivaldi. His Gloria in D major (1713) offers a striking example of the mystery surrounding these works.
Were Vivaldi’s great choral masterpieces intended to be sung by women alone? The question remains unanswered — but it forms the foundation of the approach taken here by Geoffroy Jourdain. With his ensemble Les Cris de Paris, he invites us to hear these celebrated works (Credo, Gloria, Magnificat) with fresh ears. Performed by an exclusively female choir, these masterpieces take on unexpected colours and a mysterious new dimension.
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