Compositions by Antonio Vivaldi performed in the Hercules hall at the Versailles castle

Avi Avital helps the mandolin to new fame. The artist, born in Israel in 1978, demands top performances from his favorite instrument: He explores all possibilities, pushes the boundaries of what is possible and expands the repertoire with his own developments and completely new transcriptions. His tireless work has borne fruit: he is a guest of the most prestigious concert halls worldwide and was the first mandolin player to be nominated for a Grammy. A dynamic troubadour of modern times.

In the magnificent setting of the Château de Versailles, Avi Avital accompanied by the Venice Baroque Orchestra interprets Vivaldi's concertos for mandolin, rehearsed for his album "Vivaldi" as a tribute to the Italian composer and the city of Venice. Avi Avital delights with perfectly mastered baroque sounds, at once light and spiritual, simple and stirring.

In this concert from the Hercules Hall of the Palace of Versailles, he plays, among other works, a version of Vivaldi's "Four Seasons" that is as brilliant as it is virtuosic. In this piece, the mandolin underscores the melodic voice and makes some sound effects, such as the thunderbolts, particularly prominent. In the slow movements, the cold wind - technically presented as so-called "sul ponticello" ("on the bridge") - gives the listener goose bumps. The concert was recorded for ARTE on November 27, 2015.

With :

Avi Avital - mandolin
Lorenzo Feder - harpsichord
Luca Mares - violin
Nicola Mansutti - violin
Alessandra Di Vincenzo - viola
Ivano Zanenghi - lute
Daniele Bovo - cello
Nicola Barbieri - double bass


Conductor : Andrea Marcon
Composer : Antonio Vivaldi
Orchestra : Venice Baroque Orchestra
Video Director : Hanne Kaisik