Rondò Veneziano

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Rondò Veneziano in a tour, conductor: Maestro G. P. Reverberi

Rondò Veneziano is a world famous Italian chamber orchestra incorporating a rock-style rhythm section of synthesizer, bass guitar and drums, directed by Maestro Gian Piero Reverberi. It has produced as of 2005 26 musical albums, almost one for each year since its founding in 1979.

The first decade of albums were entirely original compositions in the style of the baroque 'rondo' being "A musical composition built on the alternation of a principal recurring theme and contrasting episodes.". "La Serenissima" is a perfect example of the Rondo Veneziano style, itself owing most of it's unique character from the principle composer Gian P Reverberi.

To quote G.P Reverberi on the sound of Rondo Veneziano he said in an interview "Rondo 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 later years Rondo Veneziano also brought their unique trademark fusion of classical and contemporary instruments to a number of albums dedicated to some of the great composers of the classical and baroque tradition. However, it is for the unrivaled beauty and enchantment of the vast number of original compositions that they will be remembered most fondly.

Rondo Veneziano was in many ways a project, and in that sense it has truly succeeded in blending the old baroque forms with the modern pop music sensibility. A Fusion which created a unique third entity neither one nor the other.

A version of La Serenissima (Theme From 'Venice In Peril) was released in the UK as a single and reached number 58 in the UK charts in October 1983. The track was also widely used at that time by BBC Television]], 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 internation campaign to save Venice from sinking into the lagoon.

The following text from the sleeve notes surmises the Rondo Veneziano ethos “Imagine a distant future where man might have neglected one of the most beautiful cities in the world — Venice. Italian classical music, but with a difference, has remained as an only reminder of the magic and romance of its ancient splendours. What could happen to Venice is the story of Rondo Veneziano.”. There was an 'anime' style video featuring a spaceship beaming up the sinking ruins of a future Venice.

In 1985, they provided the score for the movie Not Quite Jerusalem (known as Not Quite Paradise in the USA). This score was a reworking of many of the original pieces featured on the 'Venice in Peril' and 'The Genius of Venice' albums.