La Serenissima/Adrian Chandler, Avie AV 2257 ****

Adrian Chandler and his ensemble La Serenissima want to take you back to 18th-century Venice by night. But don’t expect the music to induce slumber. There are works with solo trumpet (Simon Munday), Vivaldi’s Bassoon Concerto in C, RV477 (Peter Whelan), and songs and arias from soprano Mhairi Lawson. You are to imagine travel by gondola with music onboard, attending a private concert, a serenata and even spending a short visit to the opera house. It’s a nice conceit for drawing together pieces by little-known composers (Pollarolo, Lotti and Porta) and juxtaposing them with the much better-known Vivaldi, Albinoni and Veracini. It’s a lucky-bag concept that has sure-fire winners (the ever excellent Whelan) and some real surprises, including an unpredictable Sinfonia for trumpet and strings by Porta. url.ie/e8oo