giovedì 21 gennaio 2016

Francesco Cavalli - Heroines of the Venetian Baroque


2 CD - MP3 192 Kbps - RAR 167 Mb




The opening of Venice’s first opera house, the Teatro di San Cassiano, in 1637, was one of the major events in the history of opera. The protagonists of these new operas henceforth represented all the social categories making up this public and who, in fact, had to be able to find themselves onstage. The gods were no longer the only ones to lay down the law, challenged by the Vices and Virtues who preached in the Prologues. The new heroes are kings, emperors, dictators, courtesans, as well as nurses, valets, soldiers, philosopher, and, above all, lovers. Whoever they might be, we find them sympathetic or antipathetic; all are glorified, all are ridiculed.

With his 27 existing operas, Francesco Cavalli gives us a fascinating version of this theatre of life. A single main thread runs through the excerpts drawn from each of them by Leonardo García Alarcón: the expression of human passions. They are all there, from ingenuousness to ecstasy, joy to anger, passionate love (and its erotic, sensual expression) to despair. This fascinating programme represents a new contribution to the knowledge of Cavalli’s operas and allows for unveiling part of the mystery still surrounding his works.

Jérôme Lejeune, Ricercar's artistic director, tells you all about the genesis of this project here!


contents:


Disc 1

Le nozze di Teti di Peleo
1 - Atto II: Scena 11: Mira questi duo lumi
2 - Atto II: Scena 6: Sinfonia di viole a 5
3 - Atto I: Scena 3: Hor con pania e con esca
Gli amori di Apollo e Dafne
4 - Atto I: Scena 8: Volgi, deh volgi il piede
Didone
5 - Atto II: Scena 2: Didone, ohimè, non riceve amante
6 - Atto II: Scena 2: Re de' Getuli altero
La virtù dei strali d'Amore
7 - Atto I: Scena 3: Occhi per pianger nati
Egisto
8 - Atto III: Scena 10: Amanti, se credete
L'Ormindo
9 - Atto: Scena 3: Aprite, aprite gl'occhi
La Doriclea
10 - Atto I: Scena 6: Udite, amanti
Giasone
11 - Atto I: Scena 15: Dell'antro magico
12 - Atto II: Scena 1: Lamento: Lassa, che far degg'io?
Orimonte
13 - Atto III: Scena 12: Caro Ernesto / Mia Cleanta (instrumental version)
Oristeo
14 - Atto I: Scena 4: Dimmi Amor, che farò?
La Rosinda
15 - Atto I: Scena 7: Non col ramo di Cuma
La Calisto
16 - Atto III: Scena I: Restino imbalsamate
17 - Atto III: Scena I: T'aspetto, e tu non viem
L'Eritrea
18 - Prologo: Ne le grotte arimaspe
La Veremonda
19 - Atto III: Scena 6: Tardano molto? Qui si fa il ballo de' tori
20 - Atto III: Scena 6: Che rumori, che voci? Qui se replica il ballo de' tori

Disc 2

L'Orione
1 - Prologo: Sinfonia a 3
Il Ciro
2 - Atto III: Scena ultima: Mia vita / Mio bene
Xerse
3 - Atto II: Scena 18: Ed é pur vero, o core
4 - Atto II: Scena 18: Luci mic, che miraste
Erismena
5 - Atto I: Scena 4: Speranze voi che siete
6 - Atto I: Scena 5: O stelle, a chi mi sforzate
7 - Atto I: Scena 5: A me il veleno?
La Statira
8 - Atto II: Scena 9: Menfi, mia patria, regno
Artemisia
9 - Atto II: Scena 6: Regina, udiste mai
Hipermestra
10 - Atto III: Scena 14: Quest'e un gran caso a; certo
Elena
11 - Atto II: Scena 14: Amazone non son
Xerse
12 - Atto II: Scena 1: Speranze, fermate (instrumental version)
Ercole Amante
13 - Atto IV: Scena 7: Una stila di speme (instrumental version)
14 - Atto I: Scena 3: E vuol dunque Ciprigna
15 - Atto I: Scena 3: ma in amor ciò ch'altri fura
Scipione affricano
16 - Atto III: Scena 3: A tuo dispetto Amor (instrumental version)
Mutio Scevola
17 - Atto I: Scena 7: Né fasto allor che ride / Né dolente allor che freme
Pompeo Magno
18 - Atto I: Scena 17: Come al mar corrono i fiumi
Eliogabalo
19 - Atto III: Scena 2: Giuliano al tuo ferro
20 - Atto III, Scena 15: Pur ti stringo, pur t'annodo

Mariana Flores
Anna Reinhold

Cappella Mediterranea
dir. Leonardo García Alarcón

lunedì 18 gennaio 2016

Carlo Milanuzzi - Arias and Dances


18 tracks - MP3 192 Kbps - RAR 96 Mb




This CD is entirely devoted to the music of the early Baroque Italian composer, poet and organist, Carlo Milanuzzi. During his lifetime, Milanuzzi's fame spread far and wide; today, however, he is shrouded in obscurity. The artists hope that this recording - the first dedicated to his music - will contribute to the rediscovery of one of the most significant Italian musicians of the 17th century.

Indeed, it seems that Milanuzzi enjoyed a veritable 'pop star' status back in his day. In addition to masses, motets and psalms, he also wrote nearly 200 songs (brought together in nine books entitled Le Ariose Vaghezze which were published between 1622 and 1643), works which reveal him to be one of the most progressive monodists of his generation, clearly intent on reaching as wide an audience as possible.

The arias to be found in the nine volumes, 13 of which feature on this recording, are mostly short, tuneful pieces in the style that was rapidly gaining popularity in northern Italy in the 1620s. They are complemented by instrumental dances written in guitar 'alfabeto' notation, 'expanded' on this recording by way of a larger ensemble.


contents:


E pur ancora lusingando vai
Amate mie stelle
Lilla, mio cor
Vado altronde, Lidia, addio
Ballo delle torce
Vanne, và, ti fida o mio core
Bergamasca
Sì dolce è il tormento
Vedilo, vedilo là
Togliti dagli occhi miei
Battaglia
Rapitemi, feritemi
Amor, altri si duol
Padoana
Non si scherzi con Amore
Fuggi, fuggi dolente core
Alla Donna sol piace
Ciaccona


Lucia Sciannimanico, mezzo-soprano
Cappella di Santa Maria degli Angiolini
dir. Gian Luca Lastraioli