British period instrument ensemble La Serenissima may have founded its reputation on performing the music of Antonio Vivaldi, but it was a much more obscure Italian composer who shunted the Red Priest into the second half of last night’s concert at St Martin-in-the-Fields, a programme titled “A Tale of Two Fiddlers”. Born in Bologna, Giuseppe Antonio Brescianello spent much of his life employed as Hofkapellmeister in the Württemberg court. He has barely a dozen entries in our Bachtrack database. Indeed, he only ever published one set of works – unsurprisingly, his Op.1 – a collection of 12 concertos and “sinphonias”.
It was a work outside this Op.1, however, that opened La Serenissima’s programme. In one of his amiable introductions, director Adrian Chandler suggested that this may well have been the first performance of Brescianello’s Overture in A major since the 1730s. It is essentially an orchestral suite – like Bach and Telemann, the title “Ouverture” is used – and is made up of dance pieces in French Baroque style, elegantly played here, polite courtly manners on display until letting rip with a delightfully grungy Gigue to close.
Brescianello’s Op.1 has been a lockdown recording project for Chandler and La Serenissima and two works from it followed, a sinfonia (in F major) and violin concerto (C minor). These sounded much more Italianate stylistically and were given polished performances, the final Presto of the sinfonia humming along without being too breathless. The notable thing about the concerto is that the violin enters immediately, with continuo support, long before the tutti ritornello. Chandler made much of the sighing Largo and there were some fabulously gruff lower string attacks in the outer movements.
Revelatory? Not especially. Brescianello can be likened to a reliable cabinet maker – his works are pleasant, neat and functional, but turn to Vivaldi and you’re faced with a master craftsman. While the applause that followed the Brescianello works was warm, Vivaldi’s were greeted with whoops and cheers. Deservedly so for all three concertos were dispatched with relish. La Serenissima is the most Italianate of British Baroque bands and although they weren’t as abrasive as they can be on disc, there was still plenty of vigour coupled with sheer enjoyment in playing music they clearly adore.
With a lick of his thumb, Chandler sparred with fellow violinists Oliver Cave (RV516) and Agata Daraskaite (RV513) in friendly combat, including an attractive cadenza for both violins in the latter. In between came one of my favourites, Vivaldi’s only concerto for two cellos (RV531). The autograph score was composed on 18-stave manuscript paper usually reserved for sacred choral music and there was an almost religious sonority to its central Largo that seemed particularly appropriate to the St Martin-in-the-Fields church setting. Outer movements crackled with energy in Vladimir Waltham and Carina Drury’s splendid account, earning the biggest cheers of the night.
