Bernardo Pasquini advised aspiring organists and 'maestri di musica' to study Palestrina's compositions, viewing them as an exemplary model for counterpoint.
Compositional Technique
The Sonatas for Two Harpsichords by Bernardo Pasquini are notable for their unusual notation, using a single five-line stave (figured bass) for each instrument, which is the earliest known example of this kind of keyboard notation.
Instruments
The harpsichords used in this recording are Italian-style instruments with two manuals, built by Edwin Meier.
Composer Biography
Bernardo Pasquini, born in 1637, was already an organist at the Accademia della Morte in Ferrara by 1651, an academy that had hosted musicians like Luzzaschi and Frescobaldi.
Composer Biography
In 1664, Bernardo Pasquini's fame as a keyboard virtuoso led him to accompany Cardinal Flavio Chigi, nephew of Pope Alexander VII, to the French court where he performed for the king.
Interpretation
The performers on this album chose to use two-manual Italian harpsichords to reproduce the typical contrasts found in contemporary concerto repertoire, such as that of Corelli.
Composition History
These Sonatas for Two Harpsichords, dated 1704, are dedicated to Bernardo Pasquini's nephew, Bernardo Felice Ricordati.
