La Sfera Armoniosa - Vi Concerti Armonici - COMPACT DISCS [CD]

Pieter Hellendaal, concertmaster of Handel's orchestra, was born in 1721 on the milk market of the Dutch city Rotterdam. Exactly 300 years later, this album with his sumptuous Grand Concertos was recorded live in Rotterdam. The Dutch Masters Project by the baroque orchestra La Sfera Armoniosa aims at discovering Dutch hidden treasures this second volume follows one devoted to de Fesch's Concerti Grossi (CC 72829 InchThere is much to enjoy in this excellent discInch Scherzo, Spain) Album Tracks 1. Concerto I in G minor 2. Concerto II in D minor 3. Concerto III in F Major 4. Concerto IV in E Flat Major 5. Concerto V in D Major 6. Concerto VI in F Major

Born in the northern Italian coastaltown of Chioggia about 1555, organistand composer Paolo Quagliati played apart historically in having transplantedto Rome the Florentine recitative styleand developing it in the direction of aconcertato style of several voices withinstruments. Brought back to life after almost 400years, his La Sfera armoniosa (1623) iscomposed of 25 numbers with texts forthe most part by Battista Guarini. The music, composed entirely byQuagliati but for two villanellas byStefano Landi, reflects the staid Italianacademic and emerging modern stylesof the time. Album Tracks 1. Stelle Del Ciel Ridenti 2. Scrivasi in Bel Diamante 3. Ballo Delle Stelle Stelle Lucenti 4. La Nave Felice - Solca, Nocchiero 5. Ch'io Non V'ami 6. Altro Non E'l Mio Amore 7. E Ver Che Nel Partire 8. Ecco la Notte 9. Ardo D'amor S'io Miro 10. Ecco Filli Vezzosa 11. O Come Dolce 12. Vedi L'alba, O Bella Clori 13. Come Cantar Poss'io 14. O Primavera 15. Soavissimi Fiori 16. Non Si Scherzi 17. O Bellezza Gentile 18. Toccata Con Un Violino E la Tiorba 19. Felice Chi VI Mira 20. Io Vo Cantar 21. Questo E L'esempio, Amanti 22. Or Che Lieto Imeneo

The music in this programme, featuring two vocal top soloists, Claron McFadden and Nora Fischer, reigns from the turn of the 16th to the 17th century, the transition from the Renaissance to the Baroque era, a musically interesting and exciting time! Claudio Monteverdi is without any doubt the biggest Stella Lucente (shining star) of this album. He has always been considered the great master of this period and the title of the album could have been Monteverdi and his time. The highest goal is to touch the listener's soul. This leads, among other things, to an enormous amount of publications with compositions for solo voice, two sopranos and basso continuo and, subsequently, the birth of the opera. Many musicians work in the courts of the great city-states (such as Ferrara, Florence, Mantua, Venice) and the papal residence in Rome. The Duke of Ferrara employs three sopranos under the name Concerto delle Donne. They are the pride of the court and perform in special concerts attended only by high-ranking courtiers and important guests. Composers are inspired by them, Luzzaschi in particular, who worked as the musical director at the same court. Not only were they highly skilled singers, they were also adept at playing various instruments, some of which you can hear on this album; the harp, viola da gamba and guitar. Album Tracks 1. NÒ, NÒ, NÒ 2. O Come Sei Gentile 3. Con Le Stelle in Ciel 4. Recercada Primera Sobre Canto Llano 5. Recercada Primera Sobre Passamezzo Antico 6. O Primavera 7. Deh Vieni Ormai 8. Canario 9. Ballo Delle Stelle Stelle Lucenti 10. Ardo D'amor 11. Oblivion Soave 12. Toccata 13. Lagrime Mie 14. Tu Dormi 15. Romanesca Con Partite Variate 16. Ohimè Dov'è Il Mio Ben