La Serenissima presents a post-lockdown recording of the little-known 18th Century Italian composer, Brescianello. A contemporary of Vivaldi, Brescianello is a composer whose music languishes in relative obscurity. Whilst the mists of time have claimed some composers’ music for justifiable reasons, Brescianello’s music presents many compelling arguments for its restoration. Having first included Brescianello in La Serenissima’s 2014 season, they have since staged his opera Tisbe, recorded a violin concerto (Extra Time, SIGCD641), a trio sonata (Settecento, SIGCD663) and other works. It is surprising that the Opus 1 was the only set of works that Brescianello chose to publish and thanks to the Coronavirus pandemic, La Serenissima have now been given the opportunity to start their exploration of this wonderful publication.
La Serenissima is recognised as the UK’s leading exponent of the music of eighteenth-century Venice and connected composers. Uniquely, the group’s entire repertoire is edited from source material, and it has been praised for its ‘glorious and all-too-rare ability to make one’s pulse race afresh with every new project’ (Gramophone). La Serenissima has become synonymous with virtuosity, dynamism and accessibility, uncovering a plethora of new repertoire and making it available to all through live performance, high calibre recording work, education and outreach initiatives.
“★★★★★ Performance, ★★★★★ Recording. “The performances by this accomplished ensemble are polished and invigorating. Chandler’s solo violin playing is articulate, warm toned and communicative, and he is supported throughout by his disciplined and responsive players, among whom the continuo group excels…In summary, a rewarding issue.” – BBC Music Magazine.
“[The three Opus 1 concertos]they are a delight to hear in these vital, refreshing accounts. They are effervescent in spirit and rich in invention. Chandler leads readings which are perfectly paced and tastefully inflected…La Serenissima’s performance and Signum’s recording of this delightful music seems ideal to me…this is a marvellous disc. The variety of Brescianello’s invention and the quality of the playing provide seventy minutes of pure listening pleasure. It’s a disc to savour piece by piece, not one to be relegated to background listening…the selections here achieve a consistently high quality. I certainly hope that Signum don’t delay too long in sharing the next instalment.” – Musicweb International