Francesca Lione

Seven promising young artists led by Maestro Francesco Erle and the Baroque Ensemble of the Vicenza in Lirica Festival stage Vivaldi's “The Olympiad.”

Olympian gods and nymphs are celebrating Aurora's birth in the Vale of Tempe, crossed by the river Peneo. They praise her features in verse and song, comparing them to rivers and flowers. The text is anonymous and hints at a regal birth, probably Maria Theresa of Austria's in 1717.