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Audiophile recording specialist, Chasing The Dragon has kindly made available a 16/44 digital download of the final Allegro from Corelli Op. 6 No. 4 (an encore played at one of the concerts) so you can experience for yourself the ambience of the church and the quality of the playing. You can download the sample recording here

About the Interpreti Veneziani
The Interpreti Veneziani orchestra debuted on the Italian and international concert stage in 1987 and quickly gained a reputation for the exuberance and all-Italian brio of its performances. Interpreti Veneziani performs every year to over 60,000 people from all around the world and is the leading chamber orchestra in Venice, where it is presently enjoying its 30th concert season. Its important achievements include appearances in the Melbourne, Bayreuth and Prague Music Festivals, as well as concerts at Stockholm’s Royal Palace, participating in the World Vision Telemarathon at the Kirov Theatre to mark the reinstatement of the name St. Petersburg, a concert at the Osaka Symphony Hall in a live broadcast for Japanese Radio and concerts at the Tokyo Suntory Hall and Kjoi Hall. The orchestra also travels to the United States, Canada and Latin America to hold concerts in the most prestigious halls. In 2013 it performed for the first time in India. However, Interpreti Veneziani’s home is still firmly the magnificent San Vidal in Venice. 

Interpreti Veneziani recorded its first compact disc with music publisher Musikstrasse, featuring music by Giuseppe Tartini. It has also recorded 19 compact discs with InVeNiceSound. In 2014, the orchestra travelled to AIR Studios in London to produce a direct-to-disc LP of Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons for Chasing The Dragon.

Uniquely, Interpreti Veneziani doesn’t have a conductor or orchestra leader as such. Instead, the musicians all work together as a team – and having heard them first hand, I can see how well that arrangement works. The members are all soloists in their own right and take it in turns to perform when a solo is called for. For example, with the performance The Four Seasons, Giovanni Agazzi is the solo violinist for Spring and Summer, while Giuliano Fontanella does Autumn and Winter. The business side of the orchestra, including the organisation of concerts world-wide, is organised by the harpsichordist, Paolo Cognolato.

The orchestra does not only perform like a close-knit family, it also has members who have family connections. For example, the harpsichordist Paolo is married to the viola player Sonia Amadio, who also happens to be the sister of the cellist Davide Amadio! The energy and enthusiasm given to each performance during the week is both contagious and captivating. Even the rehearsals, which take place from 6pm to 8pm every day, are fresh and exciting to see in the flesh.

The beautiful San Vidal is now the home of Interpreti Veneziani and is located at one end of the Campo Santo Stefano in the Sestiere of San Marco, Venice. The original church was built at the site in 1084 by Doge Vitale Falier and destroyed in 1105 by a major city fire. Although reconstruction was finished by the 16th century, poor foundations necessitated a further rebuild in 1696 to honour the former Doge Francesco Morosini. The main altarpiece features a beautiful painting by Carpaccio of San Vidal on horseback. The church has now been fitted with acoustic carpeting around several of the pillars in order to control reverberations. The result, is a venue with absolutely superb acoustics.

Read the full article in issue HFC 437.