Wonder in Venice

The task that the Baroque left to the galant style was to amaze the public. The celebrated opera composer and keyboard virtuoso Baldassare Galuppi achieved this by applying the means of the visual arts to music and playing with light, colour and perspective. The innovative fire of his imagination and the grace of his cantabiles conquered the spirit of the city of Venice with the wilfulness and drama of Goldoni's new theatre and made him famous throughout Europe. With a selection of solo sonatas and concerti for harpsichord and strings, "Wonder in Venice" illustrates the eclecticism of Galuppi's music, which combines the splendour of the Venetian galant style with the tempestuous outbursts of Sturm und Drang. The young Italian harpsichordist Arianna Radaelli, who also performs with Il Pomo d'Oro, Zefiro and Jordi Savall, gives Galuppi's works a new interpretation that remains faithful to historical performance practice, yet is also dynamic and daring. Flanked by the outstanding string ensemble La Filarete, she successfully explores the expressive power of this repertoire, which is ripe for rediscovery.