Marco Marazzoli, a musician with a reserved character, worked in papal Rome and was considered an admired and respected composer in the mid-17th century.
Composer Biography
Marazzoli was initially employed more for his skill as a harpist, earning him the nickname 'Marco dell'arpa', than as a composer.
Historical Context
Marazzoli lived under the patronage of three great popes, and his career was significantly influenced by the shifting political allegiances (pro-French vs. pro-Spanish) of the pontifical court.
Instruments
The Barberini family, Marazzoli's patrons, commissioned a magnificent harp, now in the Rome Museum of Musical Instruments, which was immortalized in a 1634 painting by Giovanni Lanfranco.
Historical Context
In 17th-century Rome, the papal court and particularly the Barberini family preferred the 'dignity of the old violas' (viole vecchie) even as the viola da gamba began to give way to the viola da braccio in other parts of Italy.
Critical Reception
Despite his compositional skill, Marazzoli's work fell into obscurity, partly due to the academic world's suspicion of amateurism surrounding early research into his unpublished documents.
Recording & Production
This album was recorded at the parish of St. Rocco in Miasino, Italy, a church built in 1566 and rebuilt from 1627, featuring significant 17th-century Lombard Baroque paintings.
