Italian Music from the Late Renaissance and Baroque

[Florestan]

Heartily recommended.

[Que]

Heartily recommended.

Florestan, I absolutely second your recommendation for that recording, the others I unfortunately don't know. Antonio Caldara is a very interesting composer of the Neapolitan school.
I'll check out your other recommendations on him! And the Bonporti looks mighty interesting too - I very much like the violin repertoire.

This is what I posted about this recording on the old forum:

Really excellent music and superb performance.
The music is much, much more exciting than the rather solemn title suggests!
Another worthy baroque composer. For those who, like I did, don't know Caldara: think Pergolesi and Alessandro Scarlatti, not Vivaldi.

Those who like exploring (italian) baroque and/or fans of Jacobs needn't to hesitate - recommended.

A slight word of caution.
I got it in a bargain, so I'll get over it, but I bought the version without libretto  :


This is the issue to get, which includes the libretto:

[The new erato]

Strongly recommend these



as well as anything written by Handel while he stayed in Rome...which I think belong in this thread.

[Que]

Bought this recently. Domenico Scarlatti's Stabat Mater and it's a masterpiece, no less!
Its style is rather special - it is polyphonic with a baroque twist, written for 10 independent voices.
I find the result very imaginative, not austere at all - surprisingly light.
Quite a special piece that is likely to suit the tastes of those into the likes of Monteverdi, Lasuss, Gesualdo, etc. Recommended for early music lovers!
Pictured are the original cover (right) and the cardboard slipcase (left), in which it has been reissued at midprice.

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Q

[Harry]

Had anyone already listened to this new issue on Brillaint Classics?
Recordings are from the Italian label Tactus, which is excellent and specializes in early music.

Harry?

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Alessandro Scarlatti
Cantatas, Duets and Intermezzos for Palandrana and Zamberlucco.
Cristina Miatello, Claudio Cavina, Barbara di Castri, Gastone Sarti, Ensemble Aurora, Fortuna Ensemble etc.
Brilliant Classics 3cds

Q

I am afraid I missed this one, and that is unusual for me, especially if I see the content, which is very interesting for me. Is it newly released, for I never saw it announced any were. I knew they were doing something about a number of Tactus cd's, but there was no mention of a releasedate.
I will look on the Kruidvat site if I can find it, and if yes I will order it asap.
Thanks Que!

Edit. Found the recording on the Joan Records site, but nowhere else, so I could not order it yet. Tactus is a excellent label with many interesting releases to their name, so I look forward to this one.

[Que]

I already had an encounter with composer Antonio Lotti, because his "Missa Sapientiae" (in the orchestration by Zelenka!) accompanies Bach's Magnificat on the recording by Thomas Hengelbrock.
I liked him then, but this really wins me over! Lotti influenced several German baroque composers - Bach for instance studied his music - and he taught Zelenka.
The Requiem is a most interesting and imaginative composition: it combines abundance en inventiveness, complete with "operatic" gestures, with touching, ethereal choral and solo singing. Instrumentation is suprising and idiosyncratic - I love the use of muted baroque trumpets! How to describe his music? I would place him somewhere near Pergolesi, Durante and Caldara, but he it has some clear "German(ic)" characteristics as well.
This is IMO first rate Italian baroque music - which can easily stand comparison with the composers I mentioned.

Flawless execution by Thomas Hengelbrock, who always impresses me his conducting of choral works - crystal clear and transparent, and his ensemble. They have done several recordings of works by Caldara, Astorga, Durante and Pergolesi.

Recommended!

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Q

[71 dB]

Thanks Que for your Lotti recommendation!

I know nothing about this composer but you got me interested so I added that CD to my wishlist.

[Que]

There is another quite good recording of Corelli's Concerti Grossi, which is the one with Biondi and Europa Galante.

Bumping this thread to heartily second this Corelli recording by Biondi.
A very fine recording indeed. I would have expected that Biondi would pull out all stops and go nuts - but this is surprisingly delicate, yet lively. Very nice.

Q

[SonicMan46]

Thanks, Que - I missed the Lotti recommendation, but have added that 2-CD set to my 'to buy' list! 

I've not added much to my collection in this area in the last 6 months, except for the first two below:

Albinoni, Tomaso - Trio Sonatas, Op. 1 w/ Parnassi Musici - I really enjoy his music (now have about a half dozen discs)!

Scarlatti, Alessandro - Flute Concerti w/ Camerata Koln - getting more into AS's instrumental works - 

Now listening to Antonio Caldara - Christmas Cantata (must explore some of the other suggestions in this thread on Caldara!) - 

   

[Harry]

Thanks, Que - I missed the Lotti recommendation, but have added that 2-CD set to my 'to buy' list! 

I've not added much to my collection in this area in the last 6 months, except for the first two below:

Albinoni, Tomaso - Trio Sonatas, Op. 1 w/ Parnassi Musici - I really enjoy his music (now have about a half dozen discs)!

Scarlatti, Alessandro - Flute Concerti w/ Camerata Koln - getting more into AS's instrumental works - 

Now listening to Antonio Caldara - Christmas Cantata (must explore some of the other suggestions in this thread on Caldara!) - 

   

Are you copying my collection Dave.....

[SonicMan46]

Are you copying my collection Dave.....

Hello, Harry - just getting back online (evening here in North Carolina) - LOL  - good stuff, hey!  Dave

[Bogey]

Had the opportunity to hear a piece from Alessandro Stradella (October 1, 1644 - February 25, 1682) tonight performed live.  The piece was titled: Motet: Exultate in Deo fideles.  The baritone was incredible  and was accompanied by three violins, cello, and harpsichord.  However, when I looked for a recording of this piece, I came up empty.  Anybody here have it or another work from this composer?  Thanks!

Here is a bit more on him:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alessandro_Stradella

[Que]

Had the opportunity to hear a piece from Alessandro Stradella (October 1, 1644 - February 25, 1682) tonight performed live.  The piece was titled: Motet: Exultate in Deo fideles.  The baritone was incredible  and was accompanied by three violins, cello, and harpsichord.  However, when I looked for a recording of this piece, I came up empty.  Anybody here have it or another work from this composer?  Thanks!

Here is a bit more on him:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alessandro_Stradella

Bill, this disc on the small Italian label Bongiovanni is what I could find at Italian sources - best for this kind of rare repertoire. Check PM!!


ALESSANDRO STRADELLA (1639-1682) (Edizione critica a cura di Esteban Velardi)
SINFONIA in MI maggiore dalla cantata CRUDO MAR
EXULTATE IN DEO FIDELES  - mottetto per basso solo con violini per il Santissimo
SI APRA AL RISO OGNI LABBRO - cantata a 3 voci con gli strumenti per la Notte del S.S. Natale
TOCCATA in la minore per cembalo solo

AGOSTINO STEFFANI (1654 1728) (Edizione critica a cura di Esteban Velardi)
FILENO IDOLO MIO - cantata a canto solo con due violini
IL PIU FELICE E SFORTUNATO AMANTE - cantata per alto solo con due violini
PORTO L"ALMA INCENERITA - duetto da camera per canto, alto e basso continuo

Silvia Piccollo, soprano; Marco Lazzara, alto; Giovanni Dagnino, basso; Roberto Balconi, controtenore; Marco Perrella, basso
Complesso vocale strumentale: ALESSANDRO STRADELLA CONSORT (con strumenti originali), Direttore: ESTEBAN VELARDI

Q

PS A List of Stradella recording is to be found HERE.

[Bogey]

Once again, your investigative work is MOST appreciated Que.  I will look into trying to secure a copy of this.

[Que]

Listening to this recording the other day, and exchanging with Harry our appreciation for it, I noticed that it hadn't been posted here yet.


  ~ click picture for link with samples ~

And it should, because as Harry said: it is a gem.
Francesco Durante is a composer from the Neapolitan school. That means that these "lessons" for the Tenebrae on the last three days of the Holy Week are in similar vain as Pergolesi, for instance. And the similarity is immediately apparent when putting this on. And - really - as beautiful! Wonderful pieces for choir and virtuosic solos, with rich accompaniment. Italian baroque at his best. Performance is superb, beautifully recorded. If memory serves well (can't check - their site is presently down), this received a Gramophone Award. Which can't hurt either.

Q

[Que]

                 (click picture for samples)
One of the last oratorios by Alessandro Scarlatti, a composer of the Neapolitan School. This oratorio is more like an allegorical musical "play" on a religious theme (the Holy Trinity), featuring a debate/ comic quarrel between Faith, Theology, Faithlessness, Time and Divine Love. Sounds maybe boring, but the texts are witty and the music is vivid and entertaining with instrumentation by strings & continuo.
Though the style is basically traditional - arias, duets, etc. alternated by recitatives, Scarlatti provides plenty of variety and musical brilliance. Recitatives are integrated with the vocal parts, which include four duets and a quintet at the finale. Biondi ensures the music has sufficient punch, excellent vocal contributions by Véronique Gens, Vivica Genaux et al.
To sum up: an entertaining, light and witty piece, superbly executed. A very nice addition for those who are into the genre of (Italian)baroque oratorios.

Review on the BBC site

Q

[SonicMan46]

Sammartini, Giovanni (1770/1-1775) - Symphonies w/ Mallon & Aradia Ensemble (on period instruments) - YES, a 'transitional' figure between the Baroque/Classical eras, but an important innovator in that transition - a Brother Act along w/ Giuseppe, the older of the pair (b. 1695); father was actually a French oboist, who moved to Milan & married into an Italian family - he changed his name from Alexis Saint-Martin to Alessio Sammartini, but Giovanni basically spent his life in that wonderful northern Italian city (my last visit there was in 1996 - loved it!).

Brief Naxos Bio - can also check out the album & liner notes, if interested; this is my first disc of these two bros (have another coming in the mail soon!) - but, he was quite prolific, and wrote some 450 vocal & instrumental works, including at least 67 'surviving' symphonies (75 more attributed to him!) - other composers influenced and/or taught by him who visited Milan include Gluck, JC Bach, and Boccherini (I'm sure there were more!); his works have been categorized by Newell Jenkins & Bathia Churgin, hence the numbering seen is often preceeded by J-C - probably should be considered an important pioneer in this transition into classical music, a 'precursor of the Mannheim school, and, indeed, of Haydn' (quote from liner notes, if you want to contemplate?).

At any rate, I'd be quite interested in others' comments & recommendations for recordings of the Sammartini Bros!  Thanks - 

 

[Gurn Blanston]

Sonic,
I have this set on Nuova Era:



It is 3 disks of the complete early string symphonies by I Giovani di Nuova Cameristica / Daniele Ferrari. It is his first 20 symphonies. You can see it at Amazon here. I discovered Sammartini while exploring the precursors of the Classical Style. He is reputed to have had a large influence on Haydn (who denied it, claiming fellow German Johann Stamitz instead). In any case, he is quite entertaining, post-Baroque/pre-Classical, clearly having moved on from the essential late Baroque Italianate style where the sinfonia was clearly a wake up call for the opera audience, but without the hallmarks (strong dynamic contrasts, key exploration etc.) which would mark the true classicists. This is a good recording. 



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Now playing:
BWV 1080 Art of Fugue - Fretwork - Bach BWV 1080 pt 15 Contrapunctus 12 rectus -

[SonicMan46]

Sonic,
I have this set on Nuova Era:


It is 3 disks of the complete early string symphonies by I Giovani di Nuova Cameristica / Daniele Ferrari. It is his first 20 symphonies. You can see it at Amazon here. I discovered Sammartini while exploring the precursors of the Classical Style...............

Hello Gurn!     Thanks for the recommendation - I've looked @ that offering on Amazon - price a little much even for 3 CDs, but will put on my 'wish list' - I do have the disc below shipping soon - should enjoy!

Yes, Haydn seemed to deny any influence, and maybe so since he was so isolated @ the Esterhazy court, but Sammartini was 30+ years older & apparently his compositions were being played in Vienna - and Haydn wasn't really composing much until his late 20s/30s when Giovanni was about 50 y/o - well, we will probably never know, but this mid-18th century of music composing is absolutely fascinating to me, esp. since there are so many unknowns!    Dave

[Gurn Blanston]

Hello Gurn!     Thanks for the recommendation - I've looked @ that offering on Amazon - price a little much even for 3 CDs, but will put on my 'wish list' - I do have the disc below shipping soon - should enjoy!

got it at BRO for $14 



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Now playing:
K 456 Concerto #18 in Bb for Piano (arr. for Piano & Wind Quartet by Hummel) - Fumiko Shiraga - K 456 Concerto #18 in Bb for Piano (arr. for Piano & Wind Quartet by Hummel) 1st mvmt -  Allegro vivace