Vivaldi's popular La Notte concerto in the original chamber version for flute (recorder), bassoon, and strings.
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The present edition of Vivaldi’s chamber concerto, La Notte, is based on the manuscript Giordano 31, f.243-249, held in the Biblioteca Nazionale Universitaria, Turin. The manuscript bears the title ‘Concerto Intitolato La Notte’ (Concerto entitled The Night) and includes a clear indication of the instrumental scoring. The solo part is written for ‘Flauto Traverso o Violino’. The range of this part enables it to be played on the recorder. The soloistic bassoon part has no alternative instrument although the cello would be an obvious and acceptable substitute.
Vivaldi later arranged the work for transverse flute and four-part strings and published it as the second concerto in his 6 Concerti a flauto traversro, op. 10, in 1729 (RV439). The present edition uses the viola part from this version in order to create a fuller scoring if desired in performance.