Pericoli: Cello Sonatas

Featuring

Federico Bracalente
Nicola Procaccini
Pasquale Pericoli

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Composer's Artistic Vision

Pasquale Pericoli's Sonatas represent a transitional period in music history, blending elements of earlier musical expression with the nascent classical style.

Critical Reception

Two of Pasquale Pericoli's Sonatas (Nos. 3 and 5) were long attributed to Luigi Boccherini, a famous Italian cellist and composer, though this attribution has largely been disproved.

Historical Context

The cello was particularly popular in Naples from the early 1700s, leading to a rich tradition of instrumental music, including works by Alessandro Scarlatti and Leonardo Leo.

Compositional Technique

The second movements of Pericoli's Sonatas are often 'Cantabile', with cello parts that are almost voice-like in melody, sometimes resembling an opera aria.

Compositional Technique

Pasquale Pericoli's six Sonatas each use a different key, forming an ascending scale that links them together in an overall tonal configuration.

Composition History

The only extant edition of works by Pasquale Pericoli, the 'Sonate sei a violoncello e basso o sia cembalo' (Six Sonatas for cello and harpsichord) featured in this recording, was published in Bologna in 1769.

Composer Biography

Very little is known about the life of Pasquale Pericoli, the composer of these cello sonatas, but he was in Sweden between 1752 and 1757, working for an opera company.