Handel: Dixit Dominus - Ferrandini: Il pianto di Maria
9/8/2023, 18 Tracks, 56:24
Featuring
Bart Van Reyn
Deborah Cachet
Rachel Redmond
Sophie Rennert
Michel Haspeslagh
Alberto Martinez
Il Gardellino
Vlaams Radio Koor
George Frideric Handel
Giovanni Battista Ferrandini
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Composer Biography
Giovanni Battista Ferrandini, an Italian composer, was a child prodigy who entered the service of Duke Ferdinand Maria Innocenz of Bavaria as an oboist at age 12.
Compositional Technique
In Dixit Dominus, Handel, a Protestant composer, used brilliant timbre, vocal virtuosity, and expansive structure to emphasize the triumphant character of the Catholic Latin text, competing with Vivaldi.
Composition History
Handel's Dixit Dominus was commissioned by Cardinal Carlo Colonna in 1707 for the Carmelite Vespers in honor of the feast of Santa Madonna del Carmine in Rome.
Critical Reception
Handel's Dixit Dominus fell into oblivion at the end of the 18th century, likely due to the decreased popularity of Latin sung works in England, and was not performed again until after 1952.
Composition History
Ferrandini's spiritual cantata Il Pianto di Maria, written in 1739, was long attributed to Handel, but research from the 1990s identified Ferrandini as the likely author.
Composer Biography
Georg Friedrich Handel, a German composer, traveled to Italy in 1706 to gain experience and develop his skills in opera composition, staying for four years.
Compositional Technique
In Il Pianto di Maria, Ferrandini uses powerful dissonances, chromaticism, and contrasts in rhythm and melody to highlight the poignancy of Mary's lament for her son.
