The Baroque historical performance group
La Serenissima is named for Venice, but on
An Englishman Abroad, it is Vienna that comes under its microscope. Many composers moved to mighty London during the Baroque, but migrations also went in other directions, and the London-born violinist and composer
Nicola Matteis the Younger, son of an Italian violinist, moved to Vienna and entered the employ of the imperial court.
La Serenissima and director/violinist
Adrian Chandler try to use this as a springboard for exploring "the English style in Europe during the early 18th century." It is not clear how well this works in itself, aside from a Hornpipe in the
Ouverture-Suite for strings in C major of
Giuseppe Antonio Brescianello. The similarly named
Ouverture-Suite for strings and continuo in G minor, TWV 55:g5, of
Telemann might have had
Purcell as a model, but it seems more likely that its inspiration was the French dance suites that also influenced the English composer. Works by
Matteis himself are restricted to a single violin concerto and some contributions to a ballet by
Caldara. This said, Baroque lovers here will find some unusual works, executed with
La Serenissima's usual flair. The program is framed by a pair of chaconnes ("chacony" in the English spelling of the one by
Purcell that opens the proceedings), and the inclusion of the
Caldara excerpts is especially welcome given the woeful neglect of Baroque ballet in general.
Signum's sound from Wells Cathedral School imparts a certain harshness to the sound of
La Serenissima's strings, likely not there in their original environment. This album landed on classical best-seller lists in the spring of 2023, testifying to the consistently high quality of the performances by
La Serenissima and its reputation for inventive programming. ~ James Manheim
![Variation[s], Vol. 1: Beethoven, Mozart, Schumann, Webern](http://prodimage.images-bn.com/pimages/3149020944936_p0_v1_s90x140.jpg "Variation[s], Vol. 1: Beethoven, Mozart, Schumann, Webern")
