Alessandrini to make his L.A. debut

Harpsichord virtuoso Rinaldo Alessandrini, founder of the acclaimed Concerto Italiano and one of the world’s foremost interpreters of Baroque music, will make his first Los Angeles appearance, conducting Musica Angelica at Zipper Concert Hall on Friday and at Westwood United Methodist Church on Sunday.

Under Alessandrini’s guidance, Musica Angelica, widely regarded as Southern California’s leading Baroque ensemble, will perform “The Splendor of Venice,” a program of masterpieces, some rarely heard, that includes Vivaldi’s Concerto for violin and organ, RV 54, and Concerto for oboe and bassoon, RV 545; Albinoni’s Sinfonia in B flat; and concerti grossi by lesser-known Italians Geminiani, Locatelli, Mascitti and Corelli.

The ensemble will feature violinist Elizabeth Blumenstock, Musica Angelica’s resident artistic director, as well as harpsichordist Charles Sherman, oboist Gonzalo X. Ruiz and bassoonist Danny Bond.

If first-timers think that early-music concertizing might be too stuffy or intimidating, Alessandrini -- whom the Times of London recently described as “the man who has done so much to make Italian Baroque music sound Italian again” -- wants to reassure them that the Musica Angelica program requires no audience preparation.

By phone from Italy, Alessandrini described the concert offerings as “simple, attractive.”

“The program we are going to play in Los Angeles is a special example of a kind of very direct, easy, enjoyable music,” he said. “You don’t need to know anything about it. Italian Baroque music is smiling, joyful music.”

Pairing Vivaldi with lesser-known Baroque composers fits Musica Angelica’s signature style, according to Laura Spino, the ensemble’s general manager.

“The neat thing about discovering new pieces in Baroque music,” she said, “is that you can almost guarantee they’re going to be fun and enjoyable. Baroque repertoire is so vast, and most orchestras play only a very small portion of it: Vivaldi, Bach and Handel. We love to bring new works to light and hope that the audience enjoys coming along on these discoveries.”

-- Lynne Heffley