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Brilliant Classics

Italian Harpsichordists on Guitar

$12.99

Details

Composer
Domenico Alberti, Domenico Cimarosa, Girolamo Frescobaldi, Gaetano Grieco, Benedetto Marcello, Pietr
Artist
Antonio De Innocentis
Format
CD
Label
Brilliant Classics
Released
Apr 30, 2026
Catalog #
BRI97146
UPC
5063758971461

About

The guitar is an expressive harpsichord declared the composer Claude Debussy after a concert by the Catalan guitarist, Miguel Llobet. The classic guitar has benefited, more than most other instruments, from arrangements of music of many genres. Renaissance and Baroque music especially suit the timbre and range of the guitar and keyboard music is ideal for playing on the guitar, often direct from the original score. Debussy's comment may be unjust to harpsichordists, but the expressive limits of the guitar may be said to outweigh those of the harpsichord. Girolamo Frescobaldi was born in Ferrara, one of the most musically stimulating cities in Italy at the end of the 1500s. He was organist of St Peter's, Rome and is said to have also been a magnificent harpsichordist. His influence spread not just through Italy, but also north of the Alps. Gaetano Greco (also Grieco) was born and worked in Naples, notably as Maestro di cappella of the Basilica in Naples from 1704-1720. He was an influential figure, numbering Domenico Scarlatti and Nicola Porpora among his pupils. If we know the name Domenico Alberti nowadays it is probably only through the eponymous bass figuration heard in many classical and pre-classical keyboard pieces. The lively Giga, from his collection of Sonatas Op.1 gives way to a more elegant Allegro from a Sonata da camera. As well as being a composer and a pupil of Pasquini, Domenico Zipoli trained for the priesthood as a Jesuit. He emigrated to Paraguay, where he aimed to complete his training, but died before he could be ordained. With Bernardo Pasquini we bridge the gap between Frescobaldi and Domenico Scarlatti. Pasquini made a close study of Frescobaldi's work, especially his early Fantasie and employed some of these ideas in his variations. Moving forward 50 years from Pasquini, Benedetto Marcello proved to be a real polymath, with interests in politics, law and literature. He left behind a substantial number of sonatas, especially for cello and harpsichord. Like Marcello, Domenico Cimarosa's main musical output was vocal music, mainly operas, of which he wrote more than 80, admired by Mozart and performed by Haydn at Eszterhaza. Cimarosa's Sonatas are a refreshing leap into the early classical style, while acknowledging Domenico Scarlatti's influence. Domenico Scarlatti's keyboard output, 555 sonatas, dwarfs all the other composers on this recording. The similarity in range between the harpsichord and the guitar makes transcriptions relatively easy. Paradies was another composer whose music was valued by Mozart, as well as Clementi and Cramer, both keyboard virtuosi of the late 1700s and early 1800s. Played with great commitment and feeling for the style by Antonio de Innocentis, who also signs for the guitar arrangements.

Tracklist 22 tracks

  1. 1 Passacaglia, F2.28 (arr. A. De Innocentis for guitar) 02:40
    Track
    1
    Title
    Passacaglia, F2.28 (arr. A. De Innocentis for guitar)
    Duration
    02:40
    Composer
    Girolamo Alessandro Frescobaldi
    Performer
    Antonio De Innocentis
  2. 2 Aria detta la Frescobalda (arr. A. De Innocentis for guitar) 06:10
    Track
    2
    Title
    Aria detta la Frescobalda (arr. A. De Innocentis for guitar)
    Duration
    06:10
    Composer
    Girolamo Alessandro Frescobaldi
    Performer
    Antonio De Innocentis
  3. 3 Aria di ballo (arr. A. De Innocentis for guitar) 01:32
    Track
    3
    Title
    Aria di ballo (arr. A. De Innocentis for guitar)
    Duration
    01:32
    Composer
    Gaetano Greco
    Performer
    Antonio De Innocentis
  4. 4 Keyboard Sonata in G Minor, Op. 1, No. 4 (arr. A. De Innocentis for guitar) 03:18
    Track
    4
    Title
    Keyboard Sonata in G Minor, Op. 1, No. 4 (arr. A. De Innocentis for guitar)
    Duration
    03:18
    Composer
    Domenico Alberti
    Performer
    Antonio De Innocentis
  5. 5 Sonata da Camera in F Major: Allegro (arr. A. De Innocentis for guitar) 03:04
    Track
    5
    Title
    Sonata da Camera in F Major: Allegro (arr. A. De Innocentis for guitar)
    Duration
    03:04
    Composer
    Domenico Alberti
    Performer
    Antonio De Innocentis
  6. 6 I. Preludio 04:00
    Track
    6
    Title
    I. Preludio
    Duration
    04:00
    Composer
    Domenico Zipoli
    Performer
    Antonio De Innocentis
  7. 7 II. Corrente 03:00
    Track
    7
    Title
    II. Corrente
    Duration
    03:00
    Composer
    Domenico Zipoli
    Performer
    Antonio De Innocentis
  8. 8 III. Sarabanda 02:24
    Track
    8
    Title
    III. Sarabanda
    Duration
    02:24
    Composer
    Domenico Zipoli
    Performer
    Antonio De Innocentis
  9. 9 IV. Giga 02:13
    Track
    9
    Title
    IV. Giga
    Duration
    02:13
    Composer
    Domenico Zipoli
    Performer
    Antonio De Innocentis
  10. 10 Partite sopra la aria della folia da Espagna (arr. A. De Innocentis for guitar) 02:12
    Track
    10
    Title
    Partite sopra la aria della folia da Espagna (arr. A. De Innocentis for guitar)
    Duration
    02:12
    Composer
    Bernardo Pasquini
    Performer
    Antonio De Innocentis
  11. 11 Allegro in G Major (arr. A. De Innocentis for guitar) 02:58
    Track
    11
    Title
    Allegro in G Major (arr. A. De Innocentis for guitar)
    Duration
    02:58
    Composer
    Benedetto Marcello
    Performer
    Antonio De Innocentis
  12. 12 Sonata in C Major, S. 704: I. Allegro con brio (arr. A. De Innocentis for guitar) 03:38
    Track
    12
    Title
    Sonata in C Major, S. 704: I. Allegro con brio (arr. A. De Innocentis for guitar)
    Duration
    03:38
    Composer
    Benedetto Marcello
    Performer
    Antonio De Innocentis
  13. 13 Sonata No. 4, S.736a: I. Allegro (arr. A. De Innocentis for guitar) 03:16
    Track
    13
    Title
    Sonata No. 4, S.736a: I. Allegro (arr. A. De Innocentis for guitar)
    Duration
    03:16
    Composer
    Benedetto Marcello
    Performer
    Antonio De Innocentis
  14. 14 Keyboard Sonata No. 58 in A Minor (arr. A. De Innocentis for guitar) 01:24
    Track
    14
    Title
    Keyboard Sonata No. 58 in A Minor (arr. A. De Innocentis for guitar)
    Duration
    01:24
    Composer
    Domenico Cimarosa
    Performer
    Antonio De Innocentis
  15. 15 Keyboard Sonata No. 53 in G Major (arr. A. De Innocentis for guitar) 03:28
    Track
    15
    Title
    Keyboard Sonata No. 53 in G Major (arr. A. De Innocentis for guitar)
    Duration
    03:28
    Composer
    Domenico Cimarosa
    Performer
    Antonio De Innocentis
  16. 16 Keyboard Sonata No. 61 in G Minor (arr. A. De Innocentis for guitar) 02:59
    Track
    16
    Title
    Keyboard Sonata No. 61 in G Minor (arr. A. De Innocentis for guitar)
    Duration
    02:59
    Composer
    Domenico Cimarosa
    Performer
    Antonio De Innocentis
  17. 17 Keyboard Sonata No. 47 in A Major (arr. A. De Innocentis for guitar) 03:11
    Track
    17
    Title
    Keyboard Sonata No. 47 in A Major (arr. A. De Innocentis for guitar)
    Duration
    03:11
    Composer
    Domenico Cimarosa
    Performer
    Antonio De Innocentis
  18. 18 Keyboard Sonata, K.1/L.366/P.57 (arr. A. De Innocentis for guitar) 03:27
    Track
    18
    Title
    Keyboard Sonata, K.1/L.366/P.57 (arr. A. De Innocentis for guitar)
    Duration
    03:27
    Composer
    Domenico Scarlatti
    Performer
    Antonio De Innocentis
  19. 19 Keyboard Sonata, K.78/L.75/P.26 (arr. A. De Innocentis for guitar) 02:37
    Track
    19
    Title
    Keyboard Sonata, K.78/L.75/P.26 (arr. A. De Innocentis for guitar)
    Duration
    02:37
    Composer
    Domenico Scarlatti
    Performer
    Antonio De Innocentis
  20. 20 Keyboard Sonata, K.27/L.449/P.83 (arr. A. De Innocentis for guitar) 04:31
    Track
    20
    Title
    Keyboard Sonata, K.27/L.449/P.83 (arr. A. De Innocentis for guitar)
    Duration
    04:31
    Composer
    Domenico Scarlatti
    Performer
    Antonio De Innocentis
  21. 21 Keyboard Sonata in C Major, K.159/L.104/P.418 (arr. A. De Innocentis for guitar) 03:09
    Track
    21
    Title
    Keyboard Sonata in C Major, K.159/L.104/P.418 (arr. A. De Innocentis for guitar)
    Duration
    03:09
    Composer
    Domenico Scarlatti
    Performer
    Antonio De Innocentis
  22. 22 Keyboard Sonata No. 6 in A Major: II. Allegro, "Toccata" (arr. A. De Innocentis for guitar) 04:05
    Track
    22
    Title
    Keyboard Sonata No. 6 in A Major: II. Allegro, "Toccata" (arr. A. De Innocentis for guitar)
    Duration
    04:05
    Composer
    Pietro Domenico Paradies
    Performer
    Antonio De Innocentis