Following an unprecedented chart record for a woodwind player in his native Germany, Albrecht Mayer has now signed an exclusive contract with Decca. Albrecht Mayer is the principal oboist of the Berlin Philharmonic and succeeds to impress critics and casual music listeners alike – as did flautist James Galway in the 1990s. His first Decca record is a Baroque album themed around Venice and features famous repertoire by Vivaldi, Albinoni and Marcello as well as some world premiere recordings of that era.

Albrecht Mayer is accompanied by a Baroque chamber ensemble featuring some of the finest period players of today. At least since the age of Goethe, German artists have been flocking to Italy as their Promised Land of Mediterranean sunshine and adventure. For the oboe virtuoso Albrecht Mayer, the lure is more specific. “Baroque Venice,” he says, “is where the oboe came into its own.” La Serenissima — Venice herself, floating like a mirage on her Adriatic lagoon — has held him spellbound since he first visited the city at the age of ten. He returns at least once a year. “I think,” Mayer says of the present anthology, “that this project has been growing in my heart for many years. Venice is such a fantastic island in every sense. Every time I visit, I feel like I’m stepping backwards in time — especially at night. By 10.30pm, all the tourists are gone. There are no cars. You stroll through the streets and feel completely alone.” There is always more to explore.