Officina Romana: A Wonder Lab at the Dawn of the 18th Century

Featuring

Paolo Zanzu
Carlo Vistoli
Tiam Goudarzi
Marco Frezzato
Daniel Lanthier
Tami Troman

Liv Heym
Le Stagioni
Antonio Caldara
Carlo Francesco Cesarini
George Frideric Handel
Arcangelo Corelli
Alessandro Scarlatti
Nicola Francesco Haym
Domenico Scarlatti

Did you know?

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Instruments

The pianoforte, invented in Florence, made its Roman debut in 1709 at Cardinal Ottoboni's palace and became popular for accompanying voices and softer instruments.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Italian music of this period used vocality as its foundational element, with a rich and varied melodic line designed to move, impress, and astonish listeners.

Historical Context

In 18th-century Rome, the voice was the most prized instrument, with castrati often taking center stage in musical seasons due to women being largely banned from the stage.

Compositional Technique

Ornamentation was a key aspect of 18th-century Italian music, with melodic lines never exactly repeated and performers expected to 'colour' the music.

Composer Biography

Nicola Francesco Haym, a Roman native born in 1678, was a cellist in Corelli's orchestra before moving to London where he composed, wrote opera librettos for Handel, and collected art.

Composition History

The opera Giunio Bruto, with acts by Cesarini, Caldara, and Alessandro Scarlatti, was intended for the Holy Roman Emperor but was never performed due to his sudden death, making this recording a historic first for one of its arias.

Historical Context

At the beginning of the 18th century, Rome was a hub for musicians and artists, attracting figures like Corelli, Pasquini, Handel, and the Scarlattis.