Rondò Veneziano is an Italian chamber

orchestra An orchestra (; ) is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which combines instruments from different families. There are typically four main sections of instruments: * String instruments, such as the violin, viola, cello, ...

, specializing in

Baroque music Baroque music ( or ) refers to the period or dominant style of Classical music, Western classical music composed from about 1600 to 1750. The Baroque style followed the Renaissance music, Renaissance period, and was followed in turn by the Class ...

, playing original instruments, but incorporating a rock-style rhythm section of

synthesizer A synthesizer (also synthesiser or synth) is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals. Synthesizers typically create sounds by generating waveforms through methods including subtractive synthesis, additive synthesis a ...

bass guitar The bass guitar (), also known as the electric bass guitar, electric bass, or simply the bass, is the lowest-pitched member of the guitar family. It is similar in appearance and construction to an Electric guitar, electric but with a longer nec ...

and

drums The drum is a member of the percussion instrument, percussion group of musical instruments. In the Hornbostel–Sachs classification system, it is a membranophones, membranophone. Drums consist of at least one Acoustic membrane, membrane, c ...

, led by ''Maestro'' Gian Piero Reverberi, who is also the principal composer of all of the original Rondò Veneziano pieces. The unusual addition of modern instruments, more suitable for

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

, combined with Reverberi's arrangements and original compositions, have resulted in lavish novel versions of classical works over the years. As a rule in their concert tours, the musicians, mostly women, add to the overall Baroque effect wearing

Baroque The Baroque ( , , ) is a Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque architecture, architecture, Baroque music, music, Baroque dance, dance, Baroque painting, painting, Baroque sculpture, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from ...

-era attire and coiffures.

History

The orchestra's first decade of

album An album is a collection of audio recordings (e.g., music) issued on a medium such as compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl (record), audio tape (like 8-track cartridge, 8-track or Cassette tape, cassette), or digital distribution, dig ...

s included only entirely original compositions in the style of the baroque rondò, "a musical composition built on the alternation of a principal recurring theme and contrasting episodes". In later years, in addition to many new and original albums continuing Gian Piero Reverberi's own unique Rondò style and tradition, Rondò Veneziano also brought their fusion of classical and contemporary instruments to a small number of albums dedicated to some of the great composers of the classical and baroque tradition. In an interview, Maestro Reverberi said on the sound of Rondò Veneziano: "Rondò Veneziano's music is first of all positive. Also when it seems to be sad, it's never sad. It's always positive in a sense that at the end there's always a good future. So I think that also the reason of the success it that it's music where you don't have to think negative or to feel negative or if you feel negative it should be something that brings you to think positive." In Italy, their debut album '' Rondò veneziano'' (1980) reached number 1 on the Germano Ruscitto chart and number 3 on the

musica e dischi () was the oldest and longest-running music industry publication in Italy. In 1961, ''Billboard'' defined the publication as the "Italian record bible". History It was founded in October 1945 in Milan, Italy, on the initiative of the journalis ...

chart. It reached number 32 in Germany, where it sold more than 50,000 copies. The album '' La Serenissima'' (1981) reached number 10 on the Germano Ruscitto chart and number 8 on the musica e dischi chart. The album '' Scaramucce'' (1982) reached number 15 on the Germano Ruscitto chart, and number 14 on the musica e dischi chart, in Italy. It reached number 33 in Germany. The album '' Venezia 2000'' (1983) reached number 3 on the ''Musica e dischi'' chart in Italy and number 2 in Germany. A version of "La Serenissima" (the theme from the album ''Venice in Peril'') was released in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

as a single and reached number 58 on the UK Singles Chart in October 1983. The track was also widely used at that time by

BBC Television BBC Television is a service of the BBC. The corporation has operated a Public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom, public broadcast television service in the United Kingdom, under the terms of a royal charter, since 1 January 1927. It p ...

, as the theme tune to ''Hospital Watch''. The track was later to feature on the globally successful ''Venice in Peril'' album which was released as part of an international campaign to save

Venice Venice ( ; ; , formerly ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 islands that are separated by expanses of open water and by canals; portions of the city are li ...

from sinking into the lagoon. A reissue of the album ''Venice in Peril'' reached number 34 in the UK.Brown. The Complete Book of the British Charts. 2002. pp x an
854
An animated music video was produced for "La Serenissima". In 1985, they provided the score for the movie ''Not Quite Jerusalem'' (known as '' Not Quite Paradise'' in the United States). This score was a reworking of many of the original pieces featured on the ''Venice in Peril'' and ''The Genius of Venice'' albums. The orchestra has produced 70 albums since its founding in 1979.

Discography

;Studio albums *'' Rondò veneziano'' (1980) *'' La Serenissima'' (1981) *'' Scaramucce'' (1982) *'' Odissea Veneziana'' (1984) *'' Casanova'' (1985) *'' Odissea veneziana'' (1985) *'' Rapsodia Veneziana'' (1986) *''

Arabesque The arabesque is a form of artistic decoration consisting of "surface decorations based on rhythmic linear patterns of scrolling and interlacing foliage, tendrils" or plain lines, often combined with other elements. Another definition is "Foliate ...

'' (1987) *''

Concerto A concerto (; plural ''concertos'', or ''concerti'' from the Italian plural) is, from the late Baroque era, mostly understood as an instrumental composition, written for one or more soloists accompanied by an orchestra or other ensemble. The ...

'' (1988) *'' Masquerade'' (1989) *'' Barocco'' (1990) *''The Genius of Mozart'' (1990) *''The Genius of Vivaldi'' (1990) *''The Genius of Beethoven'' (1990) *''

Prestige Prestige may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Films *Prestige (film), ''Prestige'' (film), a 1932 American film directed by Tay Garnett: woman travels to French Indochina to meet up with husband *The Prestige (film), ''The Prestige'' (fi ...

'' (1991) *''Rondò Veneziano'' (1992) *''Sinfonia di Natale'' (1995) *''Marco Polo '' (1997) *''Zodiaco'' (1998) *''Attimi di magia – Magische Augenblicke'' (1999) *''Honeymoon – Luna di miele'' (1999) *''Papagena'' (2001) *''La Piazza'' (2002) *''Chamber Orchestra'' (2009)

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Rondo Veneziano Baroque pop musicians Chamber orchestras Easy listening musicians Italian orchestras Musical groups established in 1979 Musical groups from Veneto 1979 establishments in Italy