Surrender to the sounds of the Venetian Baroque and Romantic as you listen to a concert by legendary chamber orchestra I Solisti Veneti. The orchestra appeared at this year’s 68th Ljubljana Festival and you can find the concert in the Chamber Studio archive on the RTV 4D streaming site.

I Solisti Veneti are recognised stars of the classical music world. Founded in 1959 by Claudio Scimone, the orchestra established itself rapidly and its reputation grew with every concert. Last year it celebrated its 60th anniversary. To date I Solisti Veneti have performed more than 6,000 concerts in more than 90 countries around the world, including over 30 concerts at the Salzburg Festival alone. The orchestra’s reputation has been further consolidated by prestigious accolades including a Grammy Award and a special plaque from the European Parliament.

Known for refined interpretations that make every concert an unforgettable experience, the orchestra has a special bond with Venetian music and one of the greatest masters of the Venetian Baroque, Antonio Vivaldi. It also has close ties with the music of Tomaso Albinoni. The Ljubljana concert by I Solisti Veneti featured two of the most important works by these two composers. We also heard works by Giuseppe Tartini and Antonio Pasculli, two less well known names from, respectively, the Baroque and Romantic periods of Italian music.

The softness of Verdi’s melodies was perfectly complemented by the occasional rawness of this gently elegant woodwind [the oboe], which the excellent soloist Paolo Grazia exploited in full measure. In the space of ten minutes we were treated to Violetta’s heartbreaking lyricism, Alfredo’s passionate zeal, the dramatic weight of old Germont, the power of the chorus and the playful lightness of the famous drinking song – all in a new form.

(Damijan Vinter, 68th Ljubljana Festival: When to rework original masterpieces? Večer.com, 26 July 2020)

You can listen to the concert here.