The Australian Brandenburg Orchestra’s Historically Informed Performance (HIP) tonight had the elegance of a perfectly fitted suit — close and precise in its attention to period detail, yet cut with a sleek, modern stylishness that made the music feel fresh and alive rather than just historical.
Titled Italian Serenatas: Four cities. One voice. Endless drama, the concert celebrated the distinct musical characters of Florence, Naples, Rome and Venice through a rich selection of late Renaissance and Baroque repertoire. Under the creative direction of Paul Dyer, the evening reimagined these works around the compelling bass-baritone voice of Renato Dolcini, placing expressive solo singing at the heart of the serenata format.
Dolcini’s own sartorial taste was also very much on show as he appeared prominently in front of the orchestra, his changing array of coloured suits serving as a stylish visual cue to changing musical taste of each of the different municipalities.
An accomplished singer with extensive experience in fully staged Baroque operas across Europe, Dolcini brought both vocal beauty and dramatic flair to the performance. He leant naturally into direct audience address and rhetorical gesture, colouring his lines with a precise and expressive trillo that heightened the vocal drama.
The orchestra began the night with the classic concerto grosso form. In the Gregori works that opened the first half, we heard the characteristic contrast and dialogue between the small concertino group of two violins and cello, and the larger ripieno, including all the strings. The ABO fielded a rich Baroque string section — eight violins led by Concertmaster Shaun Lee-Chen, supported by violas, cellos and violone — underpinned by a lively continuo group of harpsichord of Paul Dyer, theorbo/baroque guitars Nicholas Pollock and George Wills and baroque harp played by Hannah Lane.
Midway through the first half the texture suddenly shifted into more intimate territory. The ciaccona, a distinctive song-and-dance form built on variations over a short repeating bass pattern, appeared several times. Works by Peter Philips, Luigi Cozzolino and Benedetto Ferrari allowed the continuo instruments to shine.
The second half brought further vocal highlights. The two Porpora pieces in the Napoli section were especially striking. As one of the most celebrated singing teachers of the Baroque era, Porpora wrote music that deliberately tested vocal technique and flexibility. Dolcini delivered both Ombre oscure and Se lusinga il labbro e ’l ciglio with great theatricality and technical assurance, beautifully supported by the eloquent solo cello playing of Principal Baroque Cellist Jamie Hey.
Associate Concertmaster Matthew Bruce then led a thrillingly energetic account of the anonymous Pizzica di San Vito, his baroque violin dancing with infectious southern Italian flair in this rousing tarantella-style dance that injected genuine folk vitality into the second half.
The evening reached its emotional peak in the final Vivaldi arias. In ‘Gelido in ogni vena’, Dolcini portrayed the character of Farnace confronting the ghost of his dead son with heartbreaking intimacy, his despair voiced in a dark, shadowed low register that held the audience completely still. Moments later he launched into the explosive fury aria ‘Per lacerarlo’ from Teuzzone, unleashing pure rage and power — a thrilling demonstration of a singer fully inhabiting his larger-than-life operatic character.
Throughout the concert it was clear how central Paul Dyer was to the performance, not only as conductor but as harpsichordist. He remained finely attuned to every layer — the orchestra, the continuo, the solo instruments and especially Dolcini’s voice — shaping the music with responsive, collaborative leadership that is one of his great strengths and a defining characteristic of the Brandenburg’s style. In the chamber-like songs the harpsichord could be heard with particular clarity, its bright tone and sparkling runs adding the right ornamentation.
By weaving the energy of folk dance and popular music into the Baroque works, the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra delivered a performance that was full of contemporary vibrancy. The audience responded with clear adoration for Dolcini — a genuine moment of divismo — and the evening concluded with an extended encore and the entire ensemble coming to the front of the stage to bow together, a warm and fitting close to a musically satisfying concert.
Photography by Keith Saunders
City Recital Hall, Sydney
Wed, 24 Jun, 2026 7PM
Fri, 26 Jun, 2026 7PM
Sat, 27 Jun, 2026 2PM
Sat, 27 Jun, 2026 7PM
Tue, 30 Jun, 2026 7PM
