Naïve’s anthology of “New Discoveries” is supervised by Federico Maria Sardelli, an accomplished recorder-player and also a musicologist at the heart of Vivaldi studies (he takes centre stage in the sonata for “flauto dritto”, RV806, which he discovered in Berlin). He explains that this disc is “like a basket of seasonal fruits” because it is the result of the last 18 months or so of Vivaldi research. These are not merely first recordings; most pieces are receiving their premiere performances of any kind in modern times.

Sardelli’s band Modo Antiquo deliver turbulent music with vigorous refinement and successfully convey the fizzy excitement and fantasy of Vivaldi’s writing, while never sacrificing resonance or stylistic sincerity (other conductors of Naïve’s Vivaldi Edition could benefit from taking note!). They wring out the maximum quota of drama in the Adagio e spiccato that opens RV578a (found in Dresden, and seemingly an earlier version of the second concerto of L’estro armonico). An oboe concerto (without RV number) has a beautiful Largo that features sensitive contributions from soloist Paolo Pollastri in dialogue with bassoonist François De Ridder. “Se lento ancora il fulmine” is a dynamic tour de force that Vivaldi seems to have written in the early 1730s for his lost Prague opera Argippo (the aria was discovered in Regensburg); it is magnificently sung by Romina Basso, whose masterful technique, clear delivery of text and expression of vocal phrases is also showcased in the motet Vos invito, barbarae faces (RV811; discovered in the library of the Basilica of S Francesco in Assisi). Michael Talbot calls this the “most imposing of the new works” in his excellent booklet-note and speculates that it might have been an early composition for Padua. Basso’s ornamentation is spellbinding here, and also in “Se fide quanto belle” (an aria rediscovered in the Abbey of Montecassino).