Classical Music

Classical Music

Classical Music

Classical Music

Classical Music

Classical Music

Classical Music

Threnody (Trenodia) or "[if]... this is man" is a "lay" oratorio in five parts. The work can be performed also as a theatrical pi�ce where the spoken parts and the instrumental and vocal music take turns while accompanied by a bare and essential choreography. A simple dramaturgic path - somehow almost evanescent and oneiric - was built to form the spoken part, composed by reading a miscellany of poems and proses written by poets and soldiers who took part in the Great War or wrote about it. The music was written by Pier Paolo Scattolin in 2017: in addition to the original material evocative echoes can be heard of some melodies sung in the "ordinary custom" of life in the trenches, during the alienating and often long pauses of the aberrant war activity. Threnody is not a commemorative "musical", but a space in time and sound to reflect upon man's acting. To reflect upon the soldiers' reasons, reactions and visions giving way to behaviors significantly different from those of the high officers in charge, thus unmasking the squalid strategies of the political power. In this oratorio war is shown bluntly as an anguished sharing of negative experiences from the soldiers.

The music archives of the Italian region of Marche preserve a treasured testimony of an important past artistic activity. By narrating the political and cultural history of this region, the chapel masters make up an important, although less known musical heritage, which took place outside of the major musical centres in Italy. The Chapel of the Holy House of Loreto (forthwith Loreto Chapel) played a major part in this development and, because of this, became the main reference point during the production of this recording. This CD presents unpublished compositions, which are kept in the archives of Loreto and Macerata, by authors who held office as chapel masters of the Holy House in the period between 1740 and 1866. Excluding perhaps Zingarelli, none of these composers are known outside the context of sacred music, and if so, they are known only locally. Their musical formation was, essentially, related to the Roman and Neapolitan schools and the likes of Fedele Fenaroli, Alessandro Speranza, Giuseppe Jannacconi; musicians whose didactic activity contributed a great deal to the success of many composers of the late eighteenth century, as creators of an outstanding vocal model. In describing the musical landscape in which this florilegium of small sacred creations was realized, one cannot ignore the refined compositional work of the Neapolitan Giuseppe Giordani (1751-1798), known as Giordaniello, the chapel master of the Fermo Cathedral from 1789 until his death, who was the author, amongst other things, of about one hundred compositions, from offertories to lamentations, for one or more voices and organo concertato.

Classical Music

Classical Music

Classical Music

Little is known about the life of Italian composer Niccola Monti, and unfortunately, much of his catalogue has been lost. This recording is the world premiere of all of his work that has stood the test of time. His high level of ability is seen in these works. Both of these works are connected to the Holy week, especially the “Miserere” which has been passed down orally from choir to choir, and is a unique heirloom of the community of Penne.

Classical Music

Organist and harpsichordist Maria Luisa Baldassari leads us to discover the singular figure of Andrea Antico da Montona, a musician and printer of the early Renaissance. His great ability as an engraver allowed him to compete with no one but Ottaviano Petrucci - the undisputed prince of musical printers - and his soul as a ‘cultural entrepreneur’ led him to the courageous and pioneering operation of proposing the intavolatura (the reduction of Vocal or instrumental polyphonic compositions) for the keyboard, instead of the lute as it was in vogue at the time. For the recording of the “Frottole Intabulate” (the frottola is the most popular Italian folk song in use between the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries), Maria Luisa Baldassari takes advantage of performing original period instruments: the spinetta, the spinetta Harpsichord, clavichord, the rare and archaic “clavisimbalum”, and the magnificent 1533 Vincenzo Colombi organ of the Chiesa del SS. Corpo di Cristo in Valvasone (Udine - Italy).