This month…

Vivaldi x2² entered the UK Classical Chart at Number 3.

We’ve had a load of lovely reviews for this album, including this one:

“There was a time that British ensembles were rather restrained in their interpretation of Italian instrumental music. The appearance of Italian ensembles was a breath of fresh air, as they delivered much more colourful performances, with strong contrasts in tempo and dynamics. That is history. We have here a British ensemble which produces high-spirited interpretations of Vivaldi’s double concertos, in an unashamedly Italianate fashion. The result is an exciting disc, which I have thoroughly enjoyed. The playing of the solos is outstanding, the rhythmic pulse in the fast movements irresistible, and the slow movements are pathetic – in the right – or perhaps, old – sense of the word. This disc will make any music lover happy and I am sure anyone who has it in his or her collection will regularly return to it.” Music Web International

We have been finalising the audio and booklet for Vivaldi 8 – due out February 2025. This album will mark our 30th Anniversary, as well as the 300th Anniversary of the Opus 8 Amsterdam publication and there is a very cool cover for this album. We are all very excited!

Thank you to everyone who has supported this project. If you would like to see your name emblazoned in the follow-up album, we will be recording the final 6 concertos of the Opus 8 this coming October. Please write to Camilla to be a track sponsor for Volume 2: camilla@laserenissima.co.uk

Musings from the Artistic Director

August is traditionally a quiet month in the classical music calendar. This is probably just as well considering the children are on holiday. The lull in activity has also, however, given me the opportunity to get ahead with all the editing for the forthcoming Wigmore Hall residency. 

The task is now nearly complete, with only the Zavateri violin concerto and the Valentini concerto for 2 recorders and 2 violins to go. At just over 500 pages of musical score (and counting), the task has been a gargantuan one; like the proverbial elephant, it has been consumed one mouthful at a time. There is a lot of extremely good material on show here and, as one might expect, the large-scale oratorio by Ariosti is the work that might conjure the most excitement.

The work, titled La Profezia d’Eliseo nell’assedia di Samaria (The Prophecy of Elisha at the Siege of Samaria) is, as one might expect of a story from the Old Testament, rather bloodthirsty. The city of Samaria is starving thanks to the besieging Syrians; in order to survive, two women (both sopranos) have decided that they are going to eat their own babies. Baby #1 is duly consumed by the women, but then the second woman decides she doesn’t want to eat hers. The problem is handed over to King Jehoram (bass) and his ‘Capitano’ (contralto) to sort out, with good advice along the way from Elisha (tenor). To cut a long story short, some lepers (not in our oratorio) are so hungry that they go into the camp of the Syrians to find that the enemy has gone home. Cue much rejoicing and pats on the back all round.

The music is absolutely first rate with some amazing moments such as the opening aria for soprano and 2 solo violas da gamba. In a nice piece of musical symmetry, the final aria also uses an instrumental obligato, rather unusually, a harpsichord, before the glorious Madrigale for all the singers and instrumentalists rounds off the evening’s entertainment. 

Other interesting finds have been the Facco concerto (you’ve got to be careful how you pronounce that one), the Scarlatti pieces for 2 recorders and strings and the Bononcini Sinfonia Decima for 2 trumpets and strings. I look forward to seeing you all there – its’s going to be a fab series.

Adrian

Concerts coming up

7pm, 8 October – Campden Music: Music from the Italian States*
Subscription series (Write to Campden Music here if you’d like to attend this performance.)
4pm, 13 October – The Tung, Liverpool: Music from the Italian States*
Tickets available now
3pm, 3 November – Oxford Chamber Music Society: Music from the Italian States
Tickets available now
7:30pm, 18 November – Wigmore Hall: Giro d’Italia, The A-Z of Italian Baroque 
Tickets available now

*Special thanks to Continuo Foundation for their support of performances in Chipping Campden and Liverpool.

Party Time!

We hope to confirm plans for a Patrons gathering soon: we know we’re overdue a party and there are many things to celebrate this year… 30 years of La Serenissima, 50 years of Adrian and 300 years of the Opus 8 being just 3. The support of our Patrons is vital to our work and we are so grateful to you for being there for us.

Do get in touch if you have suggestions about when or where to celebrate or if you would like to propose / donate a venue. We’re looking forward to seeing many of you over the coming months.

Adrian & Camilla