La Serenissima at St George's in Bristol - Concert Review
Posted on: 2017-11-19
Our rating:
Always a big draw with the classical crowd when they play at the venue, La Serenissima is an exemplary group of players who rank as one of the greatest interpreters of Vivaldi on the planet.
On a chilly November evening there's nothing quite like the prospect of a few hours in the company of Vivaldi to metaphorically warm those musical cockles. And, courtesy of the really rather splendid ensemble known as La Serenissima, that's exactly what we got on Friday 17th November 2017 at Bristol's magnificent St George's, guided through the wondrous sonic kaleidoscope of ardent emotions and instrumental colours that only one of the finest composers of the Baroque period could dish up.
.jpg "La Serenissima at St George's Bristol")
There's no question that his most famous work, The Four Seasons, has taken pride of place and top spot in the Vivaldi repertoire and, to a certain extent, rightly so, because there's no question of its effervescent brilliance and widespread classical appeal. But it has nevertheless, somewhat unfairly, overshadowed the rest of the composer's works, and La Serenissima redressed that off-kilter, unjust balance with an impressive programme of his concertos.
So what we were treated to were seven fantastic concertos penned by the (in)famous Red Priest. Utilizing a range of instruments including oboes, strings, harpsichord, horns, violins and cellos, the ensemble was more than adept at understanding the intricacies and nuances of each piece. Most of the works were relatively short and made up of a fast-slow-fast movement triptych, but, as is indubitably always the case with Vivaldi, brevity was no deterrent or obstacle for musical power and impact.
The allegros were delivered with a giddying punch and deliciously gutsy vibrancy, with lead violinist and director Adrian Chandler providing impeccably honed, tightly rendered virtuosic playing of astonishing speed, dextrous acuity and ravishing, stand-out flourishes. Conversely, the adagios, largos and andantes were performed with the necessary sobriety, yearning and melancholy, offering contrasting respite to the regular ferocious energy of the speedier sections.
What I love about Vivaldi's music is the guts, fire and passion which infects every single note of every single composition. Reputedly, the volatile composer - whose life of libidinous female liaisons and philandering peregrinations are the stuff of legendary speculation - was a man who churned out compositions with seemingly effortless alacrity, which would clearly account for the 500-plus concertos he wrote during his lifetime, and each piece brims with an irrepressible, irresistible energy, pugnacity and zest.
La Serenissima handled every work with assured aplomb and brio, controlling the composer's unmistakable quick rhythms, syncopations and innovative harmonic tropes with utter, faultless confidence. Director Chandler was also, as always, a charming, affable presence, adroitly cueing the players and introducing a few of the pieces with warm humour and erudite historical snippets.
Perhaps the only mis-step of the evening were a couple of compositions that included the horns, which, juxtaposed with the sprightly, fresh, clear resonances of the rest of the ensemble just sounded jarring and muffled, further impeded by a few wrong notes that were the result of either insufficient practice or, more likely, the fiendishly difficult, quickfire nature of the music. But that's just a small gripe to what was otherwise a superb evening of impeccable performances by a first-class ensemble of music by a Baroque master.
Always a big draw with the classical crowd when they play at the venue, La Serenissima is an exemplary group of players who rank as one of the greatest interpreters of Vivaldi on the planet. Cheering, clapping and enthusiastic foot-stomping offered ample proof that the audience lapped it up and loved the concert and wanted a few extra minutes indulgence of the ensemble's excellence, but the players' swift departure and lights-up quickly evaporated any possibility of that - so next time, how about an encore? While it lasted though, it was stunning and sublime.
Article by:
Jamie is a writer, blogger, journalist, critic, film fan, soundtrack nerd and all-round Bristolian good egg. He loves the music of Philip Glass, the art of Salvador Dali, the writings of Charles Bukowksi and Hunter S Thompson, the irreverence of Harry Hill, and the timeless, straw-chomping exuberance of The Wurzels. You can sometimes find him railing against a surging tide of passing cyclists, or gorging himself senseless on the Oriental delights of a Cosmos all-you-can-eat buffet.
