extent that he could safely leave her alone. Recognising her
husband’s split loyalties, she encourages him to go with Antonio
this time. Giambattista at first demurs, but it does not take much
to convince him that his wife can manage without him for a little
while. Camilla agrees to send for him the minute she feels the
slightest chill coming on. Paolina arranges all the travel documents
and, along with warm clothes, packs various remedies recommended
by the chemist to keep the whole family fit and well throughout the
winter. It is decided they will leave in mid-November. According to
the latest forecasts, not much snow has fallen so far and the road
to Rome is relatively passable. Antonio would rather arrive earlier
than later, so that he has time to rehearse. His first Roman opera
must not be a flop!
His first glimpse of Rome leaves Giambattista disappointed. His
mental image of the city is most certainly not matched by what
meets his eyes on arrival. Cloud hangs ominously low over the
hills, and the city on the Tiber seems to glower darkly from beneath
them. Only the multicoloured mantles worn by its many tourists
lend colour to Rome.
Rehearsals go fairly well, despite the rigid attitude of the
primo uomo. Vivaldi believes this artiste to have as wide a range of
notes in his repertoire as the average prima donna, so the musical
experience is not so dissimilar from what he is used to. But the
atmosphere in the theatre is a great deal less buoyant without any
women around.
Rome romps her way through the long December nights.
Concerts, theatre and banquets stud the diaries of the rich and
famous, and before spring comes to the city everyone who is anyone
will have been introduced to one another. Vivaldi cannot quite put
his finger on what marked the breakthrough, but since Gasparini’s
introductions, including a fine concert performance for the
Borghese princess Maria Livia Spinola, he feels for the first time in
his life treated as an equal by the Veneti Nobili present in Rome. He
is received as guest of honour at an ambassadorial reception at the
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