Ariosti: Stockholm Sonatas for Viola D'Amore, Vol. 2

Featuring

Thomas Georgi
Lucas Harris
Mime Yamahiro-Brinkmann
Attilio Ariosti

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Composition History

The survival of 15 of Ariosti's viola d'amore solos is thanks to Johan Helmich Roman, a Swedish music student who copied them in London in the late 1710s.

Compositional Technique

Ariosti's harmonic boldness was admired by his contemporaries, with Rameau quoting a passage from his opera Coriolano as an outstanding example of enharmonic composition.

Interpretation

The performer, Thomas Georgi, assumes Ariosti used the viola d'amore as an alto range instrument and considered his scores as outlines for further embellishment, similar to Corelli's approach.

Composer Biography

Attilio Ariosti, born in Bologna in 1666 and died in London in 1729, was remembered by his contemporaries as a singer, organist, cellist, violinist, and writer of both drama and music.

Composition History

Ariosti's solos for the viola d'amore, totaling 21 pieces, constitute the largest single set of baroque works for the instrument.

Album & Artwork

All of Ariosti's viola d'amore solos are called the 'Stockholm Sonatas' in gratitude to Johan Helmich Roman, who copied them, and the Swedish library that preserved his manuscript.