An Australian musicologist has identified a major choral work by Italian baroque composer Antonio Vivaldi during research at the Saxony State library in Dresden, the library announced on Monday.
The piece for solo voices, choir and chamber ensemble was based on the Biblical 110 Psalm and represents the most important Vivaldi work to have been discovered in nearly a century, according to University of Melbourne musicologist Janice Stockigt.
The piece, entitled Dixit Dominus had been attributed to an Italian contemporary of Vivaldi’s at the turn of the 18th century.
Stockigt, who made the discovery during the final week of research for a five-year project, said: ”The score for this piece had formerly been attributed to Vivaldi’s younger Venetian contemporary, Baldassarre Galuppi, but the style seemed much closer to that of Vivaldi.”
”Parallels between the concept and structure of this new Dixit Dominus and the two by Vivaldi already known, parallels far too numerous to have arisen by coincidence, are compelling,” Stockigt said.
”And the notation also shows some peculiarities not common outside Vivaldi’s autograph manuscripts and their copies.”
Her findings were backed-up by a leading Vivaldi expert, Professor Michael Talbot of the University of Liverpool, who was in Dresden at the time of Stockigt’s discovery. On examination of the manuscript, he quickly pronounced it a genuine Vivaldi work.
”This is the most significant work by Vivaldi to have been discovered in the past 76 years,” Talbot said.
The work will be given the Vivaldi catalogue reference number RV 807 once its authenticity is verified by the Venice-based Instituto Italiano Antonio Vivaldi. – Sapa-DPA