Classical Music

Classical Music

Classical Music

Classical Music

Classical Music

Classical Music

Classical Music

Classical Music

Father Valentin Molitor (1637-1713) occupied a special place in the music history of the Benedictine Monastery of St. Gallen, Switzerland. + The first indications of his musical activity are found in 1660, with publications of his works, including Masses and motets, seeing the light of day throughout the 1660s-80s. + The Epinicion Marianum (“Song of Praise to the Virgin Mary”), published in 1683, contains a total of eighteen motets. + The collection comprises music for six feasts of Our Lady of the liturgical calendar: the Circumcision of Our Lord as well as the Feast of the Purification of the Virgin, Annunciation of Our Lady, Assumption of the Virgin Mary, Birth of the Virgin Mary and the Immaculate Conception. + Two five-part motets and a solo motet were intended for each feast, always with two obbligato violins and other instruments ad libitum. + On this recording a selection of pieces for all feasts can be heard. + For 20 years, the ensemble Musica Fiorita, conducted by Daniela Dolci, has been specializing in the performance of late Renaissance and Baroque music. + The ensemble strives to promote the current standards of historically informed performance practice and is committed to being true to both the original scores and the liveliness of their performance.

Classical Music

Classical Music

The autograph reference "Per la Sig.ra Geltruda" on the manuscript of Vivaldi's motet "Clarae stellae, scintillate" has long aroused the curiosity of researchers. By years of research around the Vivaldi expert Michael Talbot is now revealed who this "Signora Geltruda" is: Geltruda della Violetta was a girl from the Venetian orphanage La Pietà, where Vivaldi worked for over a decade. Geltruda probably had an exceptionally beautiful voice that quickly attracted the interest of important personalities. Vivaldi's motet dedicated to Geltrude was commissioned by the Marquis Bentivoglio of Ferrara, who was Geltrude's patron. The unusual voice of Geltruda is described as being particularly delicate and was probably especially effective in expressive and less virtuoso pieces. Vivaldi adapted to this style in his composition, which Marquis Bentivoglio expressly requested for his commissioned work. This style of writing is also found in other pieces, most likely also written for Geltruda. The experienced contralto Alessandra Visentin is active at many of Europe's major opera houses and presents here with her first solo album a special jewel in terms of repertoire and interpretation.

The beguiling song of the sirens, which according to legend lured the sailors to their doom on the strait near Capri, has been a theme for many poets and musicians. For Homer, Odysseus had himself tied to the mast of his ship to hear the songs for himself, while he stuffed wax into the ears of his sailors to protect them from misfortune. Around 1600, with the appearance of the stile moderno, affects and emotions became of crucial interest for composers. With this development, the songs of the mermaids – as epitome of seduction and emotion - also got incorporated into their array of inspirational materials. Rogerio Gonçalves and A Corte Musical set out in search of siren-related music and have created this beautiful collection with songs from Baroque Spain, Italy and England.

The arias presented on this new release by Austrian tenor Markus Miesenberger display a representative cross-section of operatic music performed at the Viennese Imperial court at the beginning of the 18th century. Silvio Garghetti was a member of the Viennese Imperial Court from 1702 until his death in 1729 and was involved in 28 different opera and oratorio productions at the Viennese Imperial Court. He was clearly the outstanding lyrical tenor of his time in Vienna and most likely also a star tenor in the modern sense of the word who appeared alongside the most famous male and female singers and castratos of the Baroque period. Composers employed at court including Francesco Conti, Johann Joseph Fux, Antonio Caldara, Giovanni and Antonio Bononcini and also Marc’ Antonio Ziani created imaginative and ornate arias for him to sing in a variety of operatic performances.

Classical Music