Not only violinists are eternally grateful to Antonio Vivaldi for the sheer abundance of concert works he bequeathed. The instrument he wrote for with the second greatest frequency is the bassoon (!), for which he created about forty concertos. Two of the most celebrated bookend Václav Vonášek’s debut recording and are supplemented by pieces by other 18th-century masters, J. S. Bach, C. P. E. Bach and G. F. Handel. Vonášek has primarily arranged for the bassoon compositions intended for the flute, as was customary in the Baroque period. They demonstrate the soloist’s exceptional qualities, for which he has garnered a number of accolades – first prizes at the International Double Reed Society competition (Melbourne, 2004) and the Prague Spring international competition (2009), third prize at the ARD Competition in Munich (2008). Václav Vonášek, accompanied by the distinguished young ensemble Barocco sempre giovane, makes the bassoon sing, unleashes a tempest and conjures up the dreamy atmosphere of the night...

The bassoon in the hands of a true master – virtuosic, colourful, enchanting.