The virginal used in this recording, built around 1590, has an unknown origin, with hypotheses suggesting it could be Venetian, Florentine, or Neapolitan.
Performer Biography
Giulia Nuti, the harpsichordist, is an award-winning musician whose solo recordings are based on specific research projects and have been praised for their historical and musicological depth.
Recording & Production
The virginal used in this recording was discovered in the 1980s in the attics of Palazzo Rucellai in Florence, Italy.
Historical Context
Despite the popularity of keyboard music, England never developed its own school of harpsichord or virginal builders, instead importing instruments from Italy and the Low Countries.
Composer's Artistic Vision
The English keyboard music style was an almost exclusively English phenomenon, an explosion of creativity that lasted only a few decades in the early 1600s and then ceased to evolve.
Historical Context
The flourishing of English keyboard music began in the late 16th century, with instruments like virginals and harpsichords used for elegant and virtuosic music at court and in noble families.
