The oratorios on this album, Adae and Filli prodigi, were never printed but exist as manuscripts in the Civico Museo Bibliografico Musicale di Bologna.
Historical Context
Bonifazio Graziani and Giacomo Carissimi, two important composers of the Roman Baroque, grew up together in the small town of Marino, near Rome.
Composer Biography
Bonifazio Graziani, the composer, was the maestro di cappella of the Jesuit Church (Chiesa del Gesù) in Rome.
Performer Biography
Consortium Carissimi, founded in 1996, is dedicated to uncovering and performing neglected Italian music of the 16th and 17th centuries, and holds transcriptions of over 200 manuscripts.
Interpretation
Consortium Carissimi, the performing ensemble, uses a performance pitch of 415 hertz for this recording to adhere to historically informed musical practice of the early Roman Baroque.
Composition History
Most of Bonifazio Graziani's works were published during his lifetime by his brother, Graziano, making authorship less problematic than for other composers like Carissimi.
Composition History
Bonifazio Graziani, like Giacomo Carissimi, was commissioned to compose music for the Holy Year of 1650, declared by Pope Innocent X.
