The Lady from the Sea: Duos for Violin and Cello from Vivaldi to Sollima
2/14/2020, 26 Tracks, 1:06:23
Featuring
Chiara Zanisi
Giovanni Sollima
Anonymous (Traditional)
Antonio Vivaldi
Giovanni Battista Costanzi
Reinhold Glière
Jean-Baptiste Bréval
Francesco Barsanti
Giovanni Benedetto Platti
Damiano Danti
Carlo Tessarini
Did you know?
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Historical Context
The cello took a century to become a solo instrument, starting in the late 1600s in Bologna and Naples, eventually displacing the aristocratic bass viola da gamba across Europe.
Recording & Production
This album is dedicated to the participants of "Le Vie del Mare" (Sea Routes), a project by the charity A.P.S. I Tetragonauti Onlus, which uses sailing for educational programs with young people facing disabilities or social issues.
Historical Context
Before the widespread use of the gramophone in the early 1900s, there was a "middle world" of music where experimentalism coexisted with routine, intended for both amateurs and professionals.
Performer Biography
Chiara Zanisi's great-grandfather, an antiques dealer and amateur violinist, died in the Titanic shipwreck, leaving his violin which she cherishes and uses in her music.
Album & Artwork
The album title, "The Lady from the Sea," is inspired by Ibsen's play, reflecting the protagonist Ellida's internal conflict between a distant passion and the security of her marriage, with the sea as a central theme.
Interpretation
The performers deliberately created a "specular game" between Rome and Venice, and between cellist Costanzi and violinist Vivaldi, by having the cello play the second part of Vivaldi's Sonata an octave lower, a common practice of the era.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Giovanni Sollima, a cellist and composer, incorporates folk music traditions into his work, drawing inspiration from travels and collecting thousands of themes from various places.
