Bononcini, Lotti & Steffani: Se con stille frequenti. Duetti da camera

Featuring

Lea Desandre
Silvia Frigato
Loriana Castellano
Francesca Biliotti
Sara Mingardo
Giorgia Cinciripi

Lisa Castrignanò
Lucia Napoli
Cenacolo Musicale
Agostino Steffani
Antonio Lotti
Francesco Lucio
Giovanni Battista Bononcini

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Compositional Technique

Steffani's duets, numbering over seventy, served as universal models for contemporaries and successors like Handel, paralleling Corelli's trio sonatas in the vocal sphere.

Composer Biography

Agostino Steffani (1654-1728), a prominent figure in the chamber duet's 'golden age', divided his life between musical composition and his official vocations as a churchman (eventually a bishop) and diplomat.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Italian poets writing for cantatas and duets could 'programme' the musical setting, anticipating composers' preferences in a highly effective and symbiotic partnership.

Recording & Production

This recording is the result of a project by Barocco Europeo, guided by internationally celebrated contralto Sara Mingardo, to foster young singers and inaugurate a series of 'musical rediscoveries'.

Historical Context

Most Italian cantatas and duets of the 17th and 18th centuries were composed for professional singers in noble households, used for domestic recreation or private functions.

Historical Context

The introduction of basso continuo around 1600 allowed for vocal chamber music to be written for only one or two singers, increasing dramatic realism and vocal virtuosity.

Critical Reception

Antonio Lotti's (1666-1740) published collection, Duetti, terzetti e madrigali, Op. 1, attracted much attention, including criticism from Benedetto Marcello and plagiarism by Vivaldi.