IN SEARCH OF ITALY:LEGEND has it that the first musician to turn up for the first rehearsals of the fledgling chamber group, I Solisti Veneti, arrived at four in the morning, knocking on the Padua door of Dr Scimone, father of 25-year-old Claudio Scimone, the group's founder. Clearly, these guys meant business.
Fifty-two years later, I Solisti, a name instantly recognisable to music lovers, are still going strong. They will confirm that when they perform at a celebration of Italian unification in Dublin Castle on April 13th. Essentially an all-string baroque chamber orchestra, I Solisti will perform a programme that reflects what they call that “sort of Italian unity which predates political unity”.
In other words, their programme of Albinoni, Tartini, Torelli and Vivaldi is intended to reflect the three great schools of 18th century Italian music, namely Venice, Rome and Naples.
Much in demand in Italy this year, I Solisti will be performing in their home town of Padua, as well as in Florence, Trieste and Venice with many of their concerts reflecting the unification theme.
Unlike several younger baroque chamber orchestras, I Solisti do not use reproductions of authentic baroque-era instruments but rather modern ones, something that gives them an especially bright and brilliant sound.
Over the years, I Solisti have concentrated on Italian baroque as will be reflected in their Dublin concert. Still conducted by Scimone, they have not only performed in more than 80 countries but they have also recorded more than 300 albums.
Many of the greatest names in classical music, including such as tenor Placido Domingo, French flautist Jean-Pierre Rampal, mezzo-soprano Marilyn Horne, maestro flautist James Galway and the Ukrainian pianist Svjatoslav Richter have joined them on their albums.