Appena chiudo gli occhi: Cantatas for Solo Voice with Violin
5/7/2021, 26 Tracks, 1:16:57
Featuring
Giuseppina Bridelli
Gian Andrea Guerra
Nicola Brovelli
Mauro Pinciaroli
Luigi Accardo
Quartetto Vanvitelli
Alessandro Scarlatti
Antonio Caldara
Giuseppe Valentini
Did you know?
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Composition History
In 1708, leading Roman patrons, including Cardinal Ottoboni and Marquis Francesco Maria Ruspoli, sponsored numerous oratorios by composers like Scarlatti, Caldara, and Handel during Lent.
Performer Biography
Giuseppina Bridelli, a mezzo-soprano renowned in Baroque music, debuted at age 21 and has worked with major ensembles like Giardino Armonico and Europa Galante.
Historical Context
The careers of Scarlatti and Caldara reached their peak under the Habsburgs in two European capitals, a situation paradoxically favored by the War of the Spanish Succession.
Composer Biography
Alessandro Scarlatti and Antonio Caldara, two prominent Baroque composers, had careers that intersected in Rome on two occasions, in 1705 and 1708.
Recording & Production
This album includes the first world recording of Giuseppe Valentini's Allettamento da camera in D minor, Op. 8 no. 1, a sonata for violin and basso continuo.
Compositional Technique
The cantatas for solo voice and violin on this album are unusual for their time, as the two soloists engage in an equal dialogue, unlike more common cantatas where instrumental parts are secondary.
Composition History
Scarlatti and Caldara, along with Carlo Francesco Cesarini, collaborated on the opera Giunio Bruto, each composing one of its three acts, dedicated to Charles VI in 1711.
