Adrian Chandler and La Serenissima, with virtuoso soloists mezzo-soprano Mhairi Lawson, trumpeter Simon Munday and bassoonist Peter Whelan, transport you back to the heyday of the Venetian Republic with music from grand opera, serenatas, concertos, sinfonias, motets and gondoliers’ ballads, including several world premiere recordings.

Adrian Chandler’s and La Serenissima’s 10th release for Avie – coinciding with the label’s 10th Anniversary – has all the hallmarks that have made the Vivaldi specialists one of the best-selling and acclaimed period-instrument bands performing today. Adrian’s erudition and his ensemble’s crowd-pleasing performances combine to produce recordings that are at once popular and enlightening.

'Venice by Night' evokes an era of the Venetian Republic when the arts flourished, attracting audiences from all over Europe, including scores of royalty. Feeding the tourist trade, the resident composers revelled in creating everything from grand operas and serenatas, virtuoso concertos and sinfonias, motets and gondoliers’ ballads.

As with the chart-topping Vivaldi: The French Connection 2 (AV2218) which featured the world-premiere recording of the flute concerto Il Gran Mogol, Adrian has once again unearthed numerous works from this period that are recorded for the first time.

Track Listing:
1. Arriving by Gondola (Anon. Ca. 1730), Si la gondola avere

Carlo Francesco Pollarolo:
A Private Concert, Sinfonia to La Vendetta d'Amore for trumpet, strings & continuo
2-4. Allegro assai / Largo / Spiritoso

Tomaso Albinoni:
Sinfonia for strings & continuo in g, Si 7
5-7. Allegro / Larghetto è sempre piano / Allegro

Antonio Vivaldi:
Concerto for bassoon, strings & continuo in C, RV 477
8-10. Allegro / Largo / Allegro

11. Journey by Gondola (Anon. Ca. 1730), Cara Nina el bon to sesto for soprano & guitar

Francesco Maria Veracini:
12. Music for Compline, Fuga, o capriccio con quattro soggetti in d for strings & continuo in d

Antonio Lotti:
Motet Alma ride exulta mortalis for soprano, strings & continuo
13-17. Aria - Allegro: Alma ride exulta mortalis / Aria - Allegro: Alma / Recitativo: Annuntiemur igitur / Ritornello - Adagio / Aria - Adagio: Venite ad nos / Alleluja

Tomaso Albinoni:
Serenata, Sinfonia to Il Nome Glorioso in Terra Santificato in Cielo for trumpet, strings & continuo
18-20. Allegro / Adagio / Allegro

21. Journey by Gondola (Anon. Ca.1730), No stè a condanarme for soprano & continuo

Antonio Vivaldi:
A Concert from the Ospedale della Pietà, Concerto for violin, strings & continuo in e, RV 278
22-24. Allegro molto - Largo - Allegro molto - Andante / Largo / Allegro

Giovanni Porta:
At the Opera House, Sinfonia for trumpet, strings & continuo in D
25-27. Allegro assai / Andante / Allegro

Antonio Vivaldi:
Arias for Marianino Nicolini, Il fidarsi alla spene for soprano, strings & continuo, from L’Olimpiade, RV725
28-31. Recitativo: Pria dell’esito ancor / Aria - Largo: Il fidarsi della spene / Act II Scene 5 for soprano, trumpet, strings & continuo from Motezuma, RV 723, Recitativo: Mi deride / Aria -Allegro: D'ira e furor armato