By Camilla Scarlett | General Manager, La Serenissima
Dear GlobalGiving supporter,
Thank you for following our journey with Brescianello's Opus 1. We are delighted to say the finished Master for Volume 2 is being manufactured at the moment, although work on the booklet is still underway.
Here is a preview of Adrian's opening booklet notes on the project:
Most musicians will remember 2020 as being a year of silence. The inability to make music presented musicians with many artistic, financial and mental problems. Once these concerns had been addressed – at least in the short term – it became apparent that going back to work was not going to be without its own issues, not least because people hadn’t played together for aeons, but also because the guidelines of social distancing had to be strictly adhered to whilst playing, the exact opposite of what was normal before 2020.
If the first project on our return to work was to be experimental in terms of our working practices, then we felt that it should also be experimental in terms of repertoire; Brescianello’s Opus 1 seemed like a good fit and so the first six works were recorded and released (along with an orchestral suite in B) as Brescianello: Behind Closed Doors (SIGCD693), this despite the threat of another lockdown hanging over us like the sword of Damocles.
By the time we came to record the second part of the collection, things had moved on. The UK’s classical music sector had changed vastly since the outbreak of Covid particularly regarding the dire levels of funding on offer (still an ongoing situation fed by a total lack of political will); but despite being confronted with a near-impossible financial state of affairs, concerts were back on the agenda even if audiences were initially – and understandably so – cautious about returning to hear live music. These issues aside, we were able to perform three of the works included here to a live audience before entering the recording studio, a marked improvement upon the 2020 experience; rehearsing in advance of the sessions (and concert) was also a boon.
Since recording our first work by Brescianello back in 2019, we have become very familiar with the music of this enigmatic and stylish Bolognese; the works featured here certainly present a good case for a major Brescianello revival. If it was only around one hundred years ago that Vivaldi’s music was dredged from obscurity, is it possible that Brescianello’s music can become an accepted part of the classical canon?
We look forward to updating you further about the release!
La Serenissima is playing at St Martin in the Fields next week - on Thursday 29 June: Vivaldi's Four Seasons with works by Dall'Abaco, Brescianello & Chelleri. Please come if you can & do say hello.
Thank you for supporting our work.
With our best wishes,
Camilla & Adrian
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