Salve Regina/Sacred Works By Scarlatti, Leo & Pergolesi
1/1/2010, 27 Tracks, 1:17:50
Featuring
Alan Curtis
Mary-Ellen Nesi
Catherine Jones
Il Complesso Barocco
Leonardo Leo
Alessandro Scarlatti
Giovanni Battista Pergolesi
Did you know?
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Composer Biography
Leonardo Leo, a versatile composer, taught at the Conservatorio Sant'Onofrio from 1712 and was a trailblazer in comic opera, while also being perfectly trained in the old ecclesiastical style.
Composer Biography
Alessandro Scarlatti, the 'founding father of the Neapolitan School,' was a sought-after teacher and held the office of court organist for the Viceroy of Naples before Leonardo Leo.
Compositional Technique
Leonardo Leo's two Salve Regina settings on this album are remarkably similar in construction, each laid out in five sections with identical time signatures and tempo marks, and even the same total number of bars.
Historical Context
The Salve Regina text, an invocation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, dates from the first half of the 11th century and was integrated into Compline, the monastic hour, in the 13th century.
Performer Biography
Catherine Jones, the cellist, plays on a beautiful Italian cello by Nicolò Gagliano (1770), awarded to her by the 'Jumpstart Jr.' Foundation.
Historical Context
In 18th-century Naples, the tradition of setting the Salve Regina for solo voice with instrumental accompaniment emerged, driven by the needs of conservatories training church and opera singers.
Performer Biography
Alan Curtis, the conductor, was a pioneer in the return to original instruments and Baroque performing practice in early operas, and was called 'The avant-gardist of Early Music' by a Berlin magazine.
