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Brilliant Classics

Monteverdi, Strozzi, Caccini, Peri & Frescobaldi: Sweet Obl

Renaissance Dramatic Romantic Spiritual Exotic
$12.99

Details

Composer
Giulio Caccini, Andrea Falconieri, Girolamo Frescobaldi, Claudio Monteverdi, Jacopo Peri, Barbara St
Artist
Eleni Lydia Stamellou, Konstantin Shenikov
Format
CD
Label
Brilliant Classics
Released
Feb 07, 2025
Catalog #
BRI97499
UPC
5028421974996

About

Laments of lost and betrayed love from 17th-century Italy: musical portraits to be set beside contemporary paintings by Gentilesschi in their contained power and violence. While the featured composers in this recital were born and worked in contrasting provinces of Italy, most of them shared common goals and aesthetic principles. The text came first, and the music was always servant to it. The sweet torment of a broken heart drew from them long-breathed melodies, supported by spare but painfully chromatic harmony. The melody itself was always articulated according to the shape of the text, fitting one to the other like a hand in a silk glove. Eleni Lydia Stamellou and Konstantin Shenikov have made their own selection from a rich treasury of available repertoire in this vein. The album takes it's title from the final track, 'Oblivion soave', drawn from Monteverdi's final opera, 'L'incoronazione di Poppea'. The aria exemplifies Enlightenment values of humanism which inspire self-examination as well as 'sweet oblivion'.They include perhaps the most famous lost-love song of all, at least until the age of Lieder, Caccini's 'Amarilli, mia bella', and comparably familiar masterpieces in the genre such as Monteverdi's 'Si dolce 'l tormento' and Peri's 'Tora, deh torna'. There is also space for the no less subtle art of Andrea Falconieri, as well as several songs by Barbara Strozzi, one of the most successful women composers of the time; indeed, she was the most prolific composer - of either gender - of printed secular vocal music in Venice around the middle of the 17th century. Eleni Lydia Stamellou is a Greek soprano, specialising in this Renaissance-era repertoire as well as new music and Lieder. As a member of Music Aeterna, she has sung operatic roles conducted by Teodor Currentzis including Despina (Cosi fan tutte) and Pierrot in Schoenberg's cabaret-monodrama. The lutenist Konstantin Shenikov has been a regular member of early-opera productions led in Russia by Andrew Lawrence-King. - A beautifully conceived program of Renaissance and early Baroque songs and arias, sung by Greek soprano Eleni Lydia Stamellou, accompanied on the lute by Konstantin Shenikov. - The featured composers are Monteverdi (1567-1643), Frescobaldi (1583-1643), Caccini (1551-1618), Strozzi (baptized 1619-1677), Peri (1561-1633) and Falconieri (ca. 1585-1656). The secular texts deal with Love, in both it's sublime fulfillment and it's melancholy abandonment. - Greek soprano Eleni Lydia Stamellou won Second Prize at the Ferruccio Tagliavini Competition in Austria, with Dame Joan Sutherland as the president of the jury. She subsequently attended masterclasses given by Teresa Berganza, Edda Moser and Christa Ludwig. She sang in opera productions with MusicAeterna conducted by Teodor Currentzis. Her specialization is Renaissance/Baroque and Contemporary Music. She sang in productions of Berio and Hersant.

Tracklist 16 tracks

  1. 1 Si dolce è'l tormento, SV 332 03:45
    Track
    1
    Title
    Si dolce è'l tormento, SV 332
    Duration
    03:45
    Composer
    Claudio Monteverdi
    Performer
    Eleni-Lydia Stamellou, Konstantin Shenikov
  2. 2 Cantate, ariette e duetti, Op. 2: No. 14. L'Eraclito amoroso 05:47
    Track
    2
    Title
    Cantate, ariette e duetti, Op. 2: No. 14. L'Eraclito amoroso
    Duration
    05:47
    Composer
    Barbara Strozzi
    Performer
    Eleni-Lydia Stamellou, Konstantin Shenikov
  3. 3 Arie a voce sola, Op. 8: Che si può fare 23:39
    Track
    3
    Title
    Arie a voce sola, Op. 8: Che si può fare
    Duration
    23:39
    Composer
    Barbara Strozzi
    Performer
    Eleni-Lydia Stamellou, Konstantin Shenikov
  4. 4 Torna, deh torna, pargoletto mio 01:08
    Track
    4
    Title
    Torna, deh torna, pargoletto mio
    Duration
    01:08
    Composer
    Jacopo Peri
    Performer
    Eleni-Lydia Stamellou, Konstantin Shenikov
  5. 5 Solitario augellino 02:25
    Track
    5
    Title
    Solitario augellino
    Duration
    02:25
    Composer
    Jacopo Peri
    Performer
    Eleni-Lydia Stamellou, Konstantin Shenikov
  6. 6 Bellissima regina 05:13
    Track
    6
    Title
    Bellissima regina
    Duration
    05:13
    Composer
    Jacopo Peri
    Performer
    Eleni-Lydia Stamellou, Konstantin Shenikov
  7. 7 O bellissimi capelli 01:52
    Track
    7
    Title
    O bellissimi capelli
    Duration
    01:52
    Composer
    Andrea Falconieri
    Performer
    Eleni-Lydia Stamellou, Konstantin Shenikov
  8. 8 Al fonte, al prato 01:33
    Track
    8
    Title
    Al fonte, al prato
    Duration
    01:33
    Composer
    Giulio Caccini
    Performer
    Eleni-Lydia Stamellou, Konstantin Shenikov
  9. 9 Intenerite voi, lacrime mie 02:08
    Track
    9
    Title
    Intenerite voi, lacrime mie
    Duration
    02:08
    Composer
    Jacopo Peri
    Performer
    Eleni-Lydia Stamellou, Konstantin Shenikov
  10. 10 Amarilli, mia bella 03:24
    Track
    10
    Title
    Amarilli, mia bella
    Duration
    03:24
    Composer
    Giulio Caccini
    Performer
    Eleni-Lydia Stamellou, Konstantin Shenikov
  11. 11 Bella porta di rubini 01:31
    Track
    11
    Title
    Bella porta di rubini
    Duration
    01:31
    Composer
    Andrea Falconieri
    Performer
    Eleni-Lydia Stamellou, Konstantin Shenikov
  12. 12 Amor, ch'attendi 01:26
    Track
    12
    Title
    Amor, ch'attendi
    Duration
    01:26
    Composer
    Giulio Caccini
    Performer
    Eleni-Lydia Stamellou, Konstantin Shenikov
  13. 13 L'amante consolato 02:58
    Track
    13
    Title
    L'amante consolato
    Duration
    02:58
    Composer
    Barbara Strozzi
    Performer
    Eleni-Lydia Stamellou, Konstantin Shenikov
  14. 14 Tu ch'hai le penne, Amore 03:46
    Track
    14
    Title
    Tu ch'hai le penne, Amore
    Duration
    03:46
    Composer
    Giulio Caccini
    Performer
    Eleni-Lydia Stamellou, Konstantin Shenikov
  15. 15 Se l'aura spira (At the graceful dancing of the breezes) 02:29
    Track
    15
    Title
    Se l'aura spira (At the graceful dancing of the breezes)
    Duration
    02:29
    Composer
    Girolamo Alessandro Frescobaldi
    Performer
    Eleni-Lydia Stamellou, Konstantin Shenikov
  16. 16 L'incoronazione di Poppea, SV 308: Oblivion soave 03:36
    Track
    16
    Title
    L'incoronazione di Poppea, SV 308: Oblivion soave
    Duration
    03:36
    Composer
    Claudio Monteverdi
    Performer
    Eleni-Lydia Stamellou, Konstantin Shenikov