In the 17th century, Naples was a Spanish province, but in 1707 it passed into Habsburg hands due to the Spanish War of Succession.
Historical Context
Naples' four conservatories—Santa Maria Loreto, Sant'Onofrio, Pietà dei Turchini, and Poveri di Gesù—continued to provide musicians for court, church, and opera after recovering from a 1647 plague.
Composition History
The four works for recorder and strings on this album come from a 1725 manuscript, now housed in the Conservatorio di Musica San Pietro a Maiella in Naples, which contains 24 such sonatas.
Performer Biography
Dan Laurin, the recorder virtuoso on this album, has won numerous awards, including a Swedish Grammy and the Society of Swedish Composers' prize for best interpretation of contemporary Swedish music.
Performer Biography
London Baroque, formed in 1978, is considered one of the foremost exponents of baroque chamber music worldwide, performing around 50 concerts annually.
Historical Context
Instrumental music in the 17th century was often held in low esteem by critics, who saw its increasing popularity as an unnecessary development of an already perfected medium.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Many composers represented in the 1725 Naples manuscript, such as Sarri, Mancini, and Barbella, had direct links to the conservatories that would later become San Pietro, either as pupils or maestri di cappella.
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