Prima d’esservi infedele. Alessandro Scarlatti: Cantatas for Solo Voice with Violins

Featuring

Valeria La Grotta
Gian Andrea Guerra
Lena Yokoyama
Nicola Brovelli
Mauro Pinciaroli
Luigi Accardo

Quartetto Vanvitelli
Alessandro Scarlatti

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Compositional Technique

Scarlatti's cantatas demonstrate his skill in musically expressing textual nuances and employing flexible forms, which were highly valued by patrons in Rome and Naples.

Recording & Production

This album was recorded in Sala Maffei (Palazzo della Camera di Commercio), Cremona, between February 25 and March 1, 2022.

Cultural Impact

Angela Giorgina's life events, particularly her affair with the Duke of Medinaceli, inspired numerous satirical works, including sonnets and pasquinades.

Composition History

Three of the four cantatas on this album were likely composed at the court of Luís Francisco de la Cerda, Duke of Medinaceli, who was the Spanish Ambassador in Rome from 1692 to 1695.

Instruments

The harpsichord used in this recording was made in 2020 by Andrea Di Maio, modeled after an Italian anonymous instrument from Tuscany from the end of the 17th century.

Historical Context

Angela (Angelina) Voglia, known as 'La Giorgina,' was a singer and lover of the Duke of Medinaceli, and was even referred to as the 'second illustrious vicereine' during his official entrance into Naples.