A characteristic of ornithologically influenced arias was the presence of a solo instrument, like the flautino or flauto dolce (recorders), with a role equal to the singer's.
Album & Artwork
The album's concept, titled "Baroque Twitter" or "European Twitter," is inspired by the frequent use of birdsong as a metaphor in Baroque arias.
Instruments
Between 1720 and 1740, recorders fell out of fashion in Italy, replaced by the transverse flute, which offered a softer tone and was a chromatic instrument.
Recording & Production
This album was recorded at Les Dominicains de Haute-Alsace, a historic monument and cultural center known for its exceptional acoustics, including a 23-meter-high oak ceiling.
Historical Context
At the turn of the 18th century, serenatas and chamber cantatas were sophisticated vocal genres created for an elite audience, more demanding than public theatre-goers.
Composition History
Alessandro Scarlatti's serenata Il giardino d'amore, featured on this album, includes an instruction that if a recorder player is unavailable, the solo line should be played by a violin accompanied by 'the voice of a nightingale'.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Baroque arias often used birds and winged divinities as messengers of love, torment, or metaphors for various states of mind, especially in 'simile arias'.
