La Serenissima

Baroque Ensemble

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  La Serenissima was formed in 1994 for a performance of Antonio Vivaldi’s La Senna festeggiante (RV 693), and has now firmly established itself as one of the leading exponents of the music of Antonio Vivaldi and his Italian contemporaries. Nearly the entire repertoire of La Serenissima is edited by director Adrian Chandler from manuscript sources, a feat which makes the group unique amongst other baroque ensembles.

  Since its first CD release in 2003, La Serenissima has made ten recordings, the most recent of which – The French Connection 2 – was described by critics as “an eye-opening, ear-flattering delight from start to finish”. Its eighth release – The French Connection – was awarded the Gramophone Award for Best Baroque Instrumental CD in October 2010 (following nominations in 2008 and 2009 for previous releases). Their latest disc – Venice by Night – is scheduled for released in the Summer of 2012.

  La Serenissima has appeared at many of the UK’s leading venues and festivals including South Bank Early Music Festival, the Chelsea, Cheltenham, Chester, Spitalfields, Warwick, Lichfield and Beverley Early Music Festivals, York Early Music Festival, Cambridge Summer Music, St George’s Bristol, Snape Maltings and London’s Cadogan and Queen Elizabeth Halls. It has also appeared in Italy, Germany, Denmark, Belgium, Mexico, Malta, Ireland and Spain to great acclaim.

  Highlights in 2012 and beyond include performances of Vivaldi’s wonderful L’Olimpiade at festivals including Lufthansa Festival of Baroque Music (the UK’s modern and historical premiere), Bath International Festival (opening night), Buxton and at Eilat Festival.  They will also be giving orchestral performances at venues including Wigmore Hall, St. George’s Bristol and Lammermuir Festival.

  La Serenissima is represented by Rayfield Allied Worldwide.
  This biography is for information only and should not be reproduced.

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  • Venice by Night in Perth Concert Hall
    November 2011

    superbly well performed by the most accomplished musicians [...] with Adrian Chandler as compere and soloist extraordinaire La Serenissima, period in style with authentic bows, played not only with colour and accuracy but a communicative enthusiasm. [...] Peter Whelan had wonderful sound as soloist in Vivaldi’s Bassoon Concerto in C RV477, with agile bluster in the first movement, a lyrical Largo with inventive ornamentation and a vigorous, rushing final Allegro. At church Veracini Fugue was lively, with much brilliant playing, and the rich sonority of La Serenissima.

    Perthshire Advertiser

  • Vivaldi The French Connection 2
    Avie Records AV2218

    one of the most scintillating discs of the year.

    Michael Quinn, The Classical Review’s Best Recordings of 2011

    Chandler’s carefully thought-out programming', 'Flautist Katy Bircher plays with sensibility and virtuosic flair', 'Chandler, whose lyrical slow movement is the crowning glory of the disc', 'enviable athleticism and expressive aplomb of Peter Whelan', 'Gail Hennessy’s genial and honeyed oboe playing', 'an outstanding release

    Nicholas Anderson, International Record Review

    La Serenissima remain buoyant and sweet, eschewing the taut, opaque sound of many of today’s Baroque orchestras, and embracing something more relaxed and open, helped by a pleasing bloom.', 'flautist Katy Bircher never letting her impressive virtuosity shut out softness of tone or approach, and bassoonist Peter Whelan likewise combining agility with lyricism', 'Gail Hennessy delivered without fault her part', 'Chandler chooses his own solutions here but his eloquent performance of it is in any case reason enough to give it listening time.'

    Lindsay Kemp, Gramophone

    The soloists are on impeccable form in their virtuoso concerti. Who cannot admire the thoughtful, agile playing of Adrian Chandler in his solo concerto, the sensitive flute and oboe playing as well as the astounding virtuoso bassoon performance... The ensemble playing is always well shaped, imaginative and carefully devised, with plenty of Italianate bon gout.

    Early Music Review

    I enjoyed the first volume [...] but this second one deserves almost unqualified praise. Chandler has put together a fascinating programme […]. Flautist Katy Bircher and Chandler[…] their warm-sounding, eloquently stylish playing is a constant delight.', 'Gail Hennessy’s rounded and mellifluous oboe playing beguilingly caresses the gentle contours of Vivaldi’s melodic line in a way that the older recordings, albeit on modern instruments, failed to do.

    Nicholas Anderson, BBC Music Magazine

    intriguing, excellently packaged and delivered [...] the playing is beautifully articulated, with first-class work from the soloists

    Stephen Pettitt, The Sunday Times

    Chandler’s tight control gives freedom not constriction[...]the ensemble is spotless even on the whipping string flourishes of Paris Concerto No. 2. Every detail has meaning [...] Chandler makes each (concerto) uniquely expressive

    Rick Jones, Classic FM Magazine

    La Serenissima’s sound, so joyful is it, so full of life, and yet never veering off into the merely silly or inconsequential', 'like La Serenissima’s other recent releases, this recording is a delight and continues to showcase this compelling composer in a dazzling manner

    The Classical Review

    an eye-opening, ear-flattering delight from start to finish.', 'it's hard to choose favorite pieces because they're all so well played. Chandler and La Serenissima play with such finesse, such precision, and yet such rollicking good fun, they make every work on the disc sparkle and come alive', 'They play with animation, resilience, good sense, and passion. It's a winning combination.

    Classical Candor

    Each of the concertos presented on this disc is a gem, and for keen Vivaldi listeners there is much to treasure and enjoy. The works are beautiful, the performances sensitive, charming and secure.

    McAlister Matheson Music

  • Lake District Summer Music
    July 2011

    But what WAS good were LDSM’s two opening concerts of Vivaldi', 'La Serenissima (whose work you might know, because they record extensively on the Avie label) were fabulous. The eight concertos they played in Kendal Parish Church were bright, fresh, vigorous and engaging. As were the baroque bassoonist Peter Whelan […] and the baroque oboist Leo Duarte, who simply dazzled in one of the no doubt many Vivaldi concerti for his instrument. Duarte is young, just out of the Royal Academy, but an accomplished technician and, better still, a fantastically accomplished communicator who generates more personality than you tend to find in this not always individual repertoire. He played with style and charm: a winning, welcome combination.

    Michael White, The Telegraph

    La Serenissima perform splendid opening to Lake District Summer Music', 'Lake District Summer Music, 2011, opened on a perfect summer evening with a concert by the highly-talented young musicians, La Serenissima, under the inspiring direction of violinist Adrian Chandler.', 'This was a virtuoso performance”, 'an exciting and graphic account of The Four Seasons.'

    The Lancashire Telegraph

  • Vivaldi’s lost concerto Il Gran Mogol - Perth Concert Hall
    January 2011

    Serenissima planned their all-Vivaldi programme well, opening with a handful of routine concertos and closing with a striking performance of The Four Seasons.

    Kate Molleson, The Guardian

    Such performances excited the admiration and extended applause from the large and enthusiastic Perth audience.

    Ian Stuart-Hunter, Perthshire Advertiser

    Most interesting was the concerto Il Gran Mogol for flute, strings and continuo in D minor – a discovery of Chandler’s that has received its world premiere (and last night its London premiere) with this ensemble. Bircher shaped some elegant lines, articulating the virtuoso passages with soft persuasiveness rather than all-out fire.

    Alexandra Coghlan, TheArtsDesk

  • Gods, Emperors & Angels;Concertos for Recorder, Violin and Bassoon
    Avie Records 2010

    These (La cetra and L’Amoroso) and the Concerto in B flat for two violins from the other La cetra set (…) are enlivened by sprightly tempos in the outer movements and by eloquently punctuated phrases. Of all Vivaldi’s printed sets La cetra provides, for my ears at least, the greatest satisfaction and La Serenissima does it full justice. Two fragmentary concertos for respectively bassoon and sopranino recorder are of interest, thought two entire works for each instrument hold greater rewards. Particularly charming is the seductive Largo of the Bassoon Concerto in A minor, RV500, mellifluously played by Peter Whelan. (…) Vivaldi calls for virtuosity from both players in this beautifully-crafted four-movement work; Whelan with Pamela Thorby provide an evenly balanced partnership with plenty of tasteful ornaments. (…) A lively Concerto for ripieno strings, subtitled Conca (Conch), completes a delicately coloured sequence of pieces.

    Nicholas Anderson, BBC Music magazine

    Vivaldi scholar Chandler leads his group La Serenissima in three concerti from the La Cetra (‘The Lyre’) set, written to flatter an emperor. Chandler gently solos in the affettuoso Concerto No.10, ‘L’Amoroso’, adding his own bright cadenza. In Concertos Nos 6 and 9 he duets with Struntz, now in abrasive slanging match, now in magical shadow. The disc opens with the ‘Conca’ Concerto, the strings imitating the crude octaves of the noisy sea-shell. Thorby and Whelan blow solo works before combining in amorous high-low displays in a double concerto. Double the fun.

    Rick Jones, Classic fM

    (…)Peter Whelan and Pamela Thorby make a wonderfully free and easy pairing in the Sonata, while in her Sopranino Concerto Thorby shows off her supreme nimbleness and elfin charm; this is music that has sounded coldly mechanical in other hands, yet Thorby’s personality and piper’s box of subtle ornamental tricks give it a vocal vitality. Chandler himself is the soloist in the velvety L’amoroso Violin Concert, playing it with love all right (…). With La Serenissima offering their usual bright but lightly cushioned sound, this is another disc from them of no-nonsense joy in the Vivaldian world. This is music-making to cherish.

    Lindsay Kemp, Gramophone Magazine

• Photos

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    Photo credits: Ben Harte

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