A series of six concertos from a time when they lasted under ten minutes. Probably the concert for two trumpets is the most famous one. It was discovered in 1950 among a collection of Vivaldi works, and has since been a standard in the repertoire for trumpet players.
Vivaldi wrote more than 50 concertos for different sets of two soloists and strings. Many of them he created in the period when he was working for the Ospedale della pietà in Venice. One of four such hospitals, the Pietà was founded in the 14th century to house abandoned or orphaned girls. It developed in a musical institution that lasted until 1830.
Its concerts were renowned in its day, and it was a tourist attraction before the word was even invented. The girls were performing from behind a metal screen, to hide them from all too eager eyes. The girls had a good life, and nearing the end of the Venetian Republic were coming from all circles of society. Children could be handed over to the Pietà by way of a small child-sized window. Not all of them really were orphans.