'An Italian Rant!' finds Zak Ozmo and his ensemble L’Avventura London exploring the music of the most celebrated 18th-century Italian composers and their intriguing ties to Britain. Italian instrumental music captivated 18th century Britain with its tunefulness, drama and sheer beauty.

For this project, director Žak Ozmo has handpicked repertoire that allows L’Avventura London to explore a new dimension to several Italian favourites, and shed light on less known, but equally beautiful, works by Geminiani and Paradisi. This disc also reveals the talents of neglected composer G B Cervetto with a premiere of his marvellous Sonata in G minor.

Highlights include Corelli’s ‘La Follia’ (played with dramatic passion by Bojan Cicic), Geoffrey Coates’s hauntingly beautiful interpretation of Albinoni’s Oboe Concerto, Op.9 and a brilliant performance of Paradisi’s idiosyncratic Sonata No.7, by harpsichordist David Gordon.

The recording ends with a lighthearted, free arrangement by Zac Ozmo of one of the most famous Italian popular dance songs of the 17th century (it went by a multitude of names, including ‘Barabano’, ‘Fuggi, fuggi’ and ‘La Mantovana‘). The London publisher John Playford issued it under the title of ‘An Italian Rant’, a memorable phrase that has inspired this collection of Italian baroque music with ties to Britain.

L’Avventura London performs with the same benchmark energy, integrity, and creative, dynamic music making demonstrated in the critically successful Handel in the Playhouse.