Florence Two Concerts this Evening!!

Tonight I’m hearing the Orchestra da Camera Milano Classica in the Chiesa di Santo Stefano al Ponte Vecchio hidden in a small courtyard off the main Santa Maria street just before it reaches the Ponte Vecchio.

 

I go there earlier in the evening to buy a ticket and, on my return, I hear a choir from the USA singing music by Palestrina in the next-door chapel. I listen for a little while and, on my exit, mention to the program lady that the choir is singing out so much in the sensitive acoustics of the church that the sound ends up as a continuous ringing of resonance. The church has such sensitive acoustics. They have even closed the doors which robs them of a few precious open window units.

 

I go up to my apartment which is almost part of the church and prepare for the concert in Sant Stephan. Then I hear singing more clearly from the street below. The choir is singing Italian music in the street!! Now, we would think of this ‘street’ as little more than an alleyway normally. But it does have huge buildings on either side and the choir’s style of singing, more used to fighting the acoustics of concert halls, is ideal for that environment. They sound great!!

 

What a brave conductor!! He has chosen to change the location rather than attempt a last minute change of singing style. People stream out of adjacent lanes and cheer at the end of each piece. I have a front seat, albeit rather higher than I would choose. But I’m sure that the choir and their hangers-on were delighted with the reception they received from the local people.

 

 

Then on to Santo Stefano. The concert is due to start at nine o’clock but, when I ask the time of the lady sitting next to me, she says, “It’s nine o’clock but they won’t start until quarter past”.

 

Sure enough, the orchestra struggle on and the leader, Marcello Scandelli a cellist, actually runs on to the stage at quarter past. He is a very emphatic leader and, with a pronounced flourish of the his bow, the orchestra launch into the Sammartini Sinfonia JC39.

 

Their attitude to performance is more that of a string quartet than a string orchestra with composition 4 – 4 – 4 – 2 – 1. They all lean in to each phrase with the leader and the second note of an appoggiatura is often merely whispered. It all ‘looks’ extremely mannered but the music is exciting for all this. Marcello Scandelli, the cellist leader is a real character personally and this also comes out in the music of Mozart which follows the Sammartini.

Now we get the pot boilers but with a surprise. The violinist Michael Antonello plays the Vitale Ciaccona in G minor with great verve but his projection is first rate. He has a big beautiful tone and I later discover that he is playing a Strad. This really dominates to an unreasonable degree the following Bach double concerto(Yes, it’s the favourite BWV1043) with such a big sound.

 

The concert ends with another dramatic Sammartini JC36 via the Mozart Sinfonia Milanese Kv198, appropriately as the group hails from Milan. A very enjoyable concert!!!!