The Lyre, or La Cetra, Vivaldi's Violin Concertos for Holy Roman Emperor Charles VI

The Lyre, or La Cetra is the name of the Opus 9 set of concertos that Vivaldi presented to Holy Roman Emperor Charles VI in 1927. In 1928 Vivaldi presented another set of concertos to Charles VI and also named them La Cetra. This set of manuscripts was never published, and unfortunately the solo violin parts are missing.

By naming them The Lyre after the instrument held by Apollo the Sun God, Vivaldi was likening the Holy Roman Emperor to a God. Throughout the Renaissance Apollo's Lyre was often substituted by a Lira da Braccio, and this in turn by a violin in the baroque period. It is interesting therefore that these concertos all have the violin playing the solo part.

Whilst the later La Cetra concertos are incomplete, possibly at the hand of Nicola Matteis the Younger, many have either been reconstructed or duplicate parts used to complete them. However, one of the concertos appears in Vivaldi's later Opus 11 set, and is named Il Favorito or The Favourite. It is unclear who's favourite it was, Vivaldi's, Charles VI or Nicola Matteis the Younger's. However, it is one of La Serenissima's, and we hope it becomes one of yours too!

This album marks the occasion of the coronation of HM King Charles III of the United Kingdom, 6th May 2023.

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