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This album sketches a portrait of the musical reality of the British Isles during the first half of the 18th century. The huge success of the Italian concerto grosso was a response to the necessity of freeing music from a secondary role to which it found itself confined, notably in France with ballet music. Unaffected by the rivalry between French and Italian music, the British seemed to be attracted by purely instrumental music; the concerto grosso consequently afforded them a freshness, a boldness, and a hint of unique maestria that held an immediate appeal. Thus it was that the concerto grosso emigrated, as did a number of Italian composers who responded to the emotional needs and the demands of an English 'market' that encouraged artistic initiative, promised financial satisfaction, and offered the opportunity of achieving fame. This was the case with Francesco Scarlatti, the brother of the celebrated Alessandro, who made almost his whole career in London and Dublin. Few of his works have survived beyond the six concerti grossi featured on this programme. You are invited by the young Polish ensemble {oh!} Orkiestra Historyczna, conducted by it's first violin Martyna Pastuszka, to journey from Italy to the United Kingdom. Warm, varied sonorities highlight the splendor and expressivity of music that is now lively or dancelike, now gentle, melancholic or meditative. To be discovered!
