Various Artists - Sequenza - COMPACT DISCS [CD]

Stravaganza is an exciting journey throughout the most varied affects found in Italian instrumental and vocal music from 1500 to 1700. The unique combination of both arpa doppia and harpsichord, two polyphonic instruments with a wide tradition in Italy at that time, offers a suggestive and innovative performance of this repertoire. Sara Águeda and Javier Núñez achieve an impressive richness of sounds and colors, adding great ingenuity to this wonderful music.

A small size, four gut strings, and a short bow were the beginning ingredients of the magic that is the violin. Such a magic happened in Italy, the birthplace of the violin, during the seventeenth century. InchSeicento!Inch is a multifaceted time-travel through the Early Baroque, from Venice to Sicily, exploring the wonders of the first violin virtuosos and their dexterous-impassioned playing. Enrico Onofri was born in Ravenna, Italy. His career began with an invitation from Jordi Savall to be the concertmaster of La Capella Real. Very soon he found himself working with groups such as Concentus Musicus Wien, Ensemble Mosaiques and Concerto Italiano. From 1987 to 2010 he was the concertmaster and soloist of Il Giardino Armonico. In 2002 he entered into a conductor's career, which has brought him great critical acclaim and numerous invitations from orchestras, festivals and opera houses in Europe, Japan and America. From 2004 to 2013 he was the principal conductor of Divino Sospiro and since 2006 he has been a principal guest conductor with Orquesta Barroca de Sevilla. He conducted ensembles such as Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin, Camerata Bern, Festival Strings Lucerne, Bochumer Symphoniker, Kammerorchester Basel, Orchestra Ensemble Kanazawa, Real Orquesta Sinfonica de Sevilla, Orchestre de l'Opéra de Lyon, Orquesta Sinfonica de Galicia and more. In 2002 he founded the chamber group Imaginarium Ensemble to perform the Italian baroque repertoire. Album Tracks 1. Sinfonia Decimaterza à un canto (from InchLibro primo di sinfonieInch) 2. Sonata terza per il violino solo Variata (from InchSonate, Symphonie [...] Opera OttavaInch) 3. Ricercata per flauto et ogni altro istromento (from InchIl DolcimeloInch) 4. Canzon Terza Soprano, solo (from InchCanzoni, FantasieInch) 5. Sonata Quarta per il Violino Per sonar con due corde (from InchSonate, Symphonie [...] Oper

Risonanze is the début solo album of London-based viola da gamba player Ibrahim Aziz, who is one of the greatest performers of the instrument of his generation. This recording is a performance of immense expression, expertly delivered on a viol made by English string maker Barak Norman in 1712. The album includes one of the highlights of the baroque era the Cello Sonata No. 2 by J.S. Bach as well as other baroque works. Risonanze also includes contemporary works, including one specially written for Aziz. Popular between the 15th-18th centuries, the viol has a unique quality of the sound through plangent tones of it's middle voice, silvery and vibrant high notes, and the depth of it's bass and human-like qualities. It's bow is played with a technique that discourages sharp attacks on the strings, but instead draws out and threads together each note like beautiful pearls on a maiden's neck, glowing with a silky halo. This quality of sound is not volume but resonance.