María Cristina Kiehr, soprano [mck] Edoardo Torbianelli, pianoforte [et] “cimbalo di martelletti” by Denzil Wraight (2003), after Bartolomeo Cristofori (1726) Chiara Banchini, violin [cb] Nicolò Amati, Cremona (1674) Marc Hantaï, traverso [mh] Rudolf Tutz, Innsbruck (2000), after I. H. Rottenburgh Rebeka Rusò, viola da gamba [rr] Jacobus Stainer, Absam (17th century) Daniele Caminiti, archlute [dc] Andreas von Holst, Munich (2004), after Vendelio Vendere A co-production of the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis - University of Early Music at the Musik-Akademie Basel with Schweizer Radio drs Recorded in the Reformierte Kirche Arlesheim (Basel-Land, Switzerland) in November 2009 Engineered by drs 2 Recording producer: Charles Suter ( drs 2 ) Executive producer ( drs 2): Rolf Grolimund Photographs: Susanna Drescher Executive producer & editorial director ( scb ): Thomas Drescher Editorial assistance ( scb ): Philipp Zimmermann All texts and translations (except Spanish) © 2011 Schola Cantorum Basiliensis Design: Valentín Iglesias Executive producer & editorial director (Gloss a/ MusiContact): Carlos Céster Editorial assistance: María Díaz © 2011 MusiContact GmbH 5 Schola Cantorum Basiliensis - University of Early Music at the Musik-Akademie Basel Fachhochschule Nordwestschweiz ( fhnw ) www.scb-basel.ch 4 5 Piano e forte Francesco Maria Veracini (1690-1768) Suonata quarta (C minor, for violin and basso continuo) cb, et, rr, dc Music at the Medici Court on Cristofori’s early pianoforte (c. 1730) Sonate a violino solo e basso... opera prima. Dresden, 1721 20 Preludio: Largo 3:12 21 Allegro 2:29 22 Sarabanda 3:00 23 Allegro 2:29 Lodovico Giustini di Pistoia (1685-1743) Alessandro Marcello [Eterio Stinfalico] (1669-1747) Suonata i (G minor, for “cimbalo di piano e forte”) et Serenata ad Irene (for soprano and basso continuo) mck, et, rr, dc Sonate da cimbalo di piano e forte detto volgarmente di martelletti... opera prima. Florence, 1732 12 Cantate a voce sola e basso continuo. Venice, 1708 1 Balletto: Spiritoso, ma non presto 2:17 2 Corrente: Allegro 1:49 3 Sarabanda: Grave 2:20 24 [Rec.] “Infra notturni orrori” 1:39 25 [Arioso] Largo, e staccato “A la bella spiegava” 1:10 4 Gigue: Presto 1:29 5 Minuet: Affetuoso 0:40 26 [Aria] Adagio assai “Io conosco, o bella Irene” 2:12 27 [Rec.] “Così dicea” 1:26 28 [Aria] Largo “Perché a me non vi girate” 6:05 29 [Rec. & Arioso] “Ma già l’alba nascente” 1:54 Alessandro Scarlatti (1660-1725) Ariettas (for soprano, traverso and basso continuo) mck, mh, et Alessandro Marcello Thirty Six Ariettas for a single voice with a thorough bass for the harpsichord and within compass of the German flute... London, s. a. 30 Adagio from Sonata ottava (E minor, for violin and basso continuo) 2:23 cb, et 6 “Sono unite” (no. 25) 2:52 7 “Datti pace” (no. 3) 1:14 8 “Con la forza” (no. 19) 1:25 Suonate a violino solo. Augsburg, c. 1738 Martino Bitti (1660-1743) Alessandro Marcello Sonata vii (D minor, for traverso and basso continuo) mh, et, dc Riposo di Clori mck, et, dc Solos for a flute with a thorough bass for the harpsichord or bass violin... London, c. 1712 12 Cantate a voce sola e basso continuo. Venice, 1708 9 Preludio: Largo 3:04 10 Allemanda: Vivace 1:43 11 Corrente: Allegro 1:31 12 Giga: Allegro 1:41 31 [Rec. & Arioso] “Ne la stagion de’ fiori” 2:21 32 [Aria] Adagio “Dolce tregua de’ mortali” 5:32 33 [Rec. & Arioso] “Così Cloria dicea” 1:49 34 [Aria] Allegro “Vieni a me, Mirtillo amato” 2:09 Alessandro Scarlatti 35 [Rec. & Arioso] “Più dir volea” 2:10 Ariettas (for soprano, traverso and basso continuo) mck, mh, et Thirty Six Ariettas for a single voice with a thorough bass for the harpsichord and within compass of the German flute... London, s. a. Lodovico Giustini di Pistoia 13 “Sì, sì, già ritorna” (no. 13) 1:11 14 “Se non more” (no. 9) 1:17 36 Andante, ma non presto from Suonata terza (F major, for “cimbalo di piano e forte”) 1:27 et 15 “Apri le luci amanti” (no. 33) 1:58 16 “Forse, o cieli” (no. 12) 0:54 Sonate da cimbalo di piano e forte detto volgarmente di martelletti... opera prima. Florence, 1732 Francesco Barsanti (1660-1743) Sonata iv (E minor, for traverso and basso continuo) mh, et vi Sonate per la Traversiera, o German Flute con Basso per Violone o Cembalo, op. 2. London, 1728 17 Vivace 2:58 18 Grave 2:56 19 Allegro 1:51 6 7 English English ments in keyboard instrument design. Already in 1687 of volume. One can imagine that a musically ambi - Cristofori’s early fortepiano may also have been used in he had visited the innovative harpsichord maker tious court like Ferdinando’s reacted to Cristofori’s this realm. Bartolomeo Cristofori (1655-1732) in Padua. Cristofori new instruments with great interest. The above-mentioned violinist and composer was by then presumably experimenting with hammer Within a few years, Ferdinando’s engagement, Martino Bitti from Genoa entered the service of actions, which were indeed not a new idea – Henri including the Gran Principe ’s commitment to opera, Cosimo iii de’ Medici in 1685, and worked for Arnaut de Zwolle had already sketched a primitive made Florence into one of Italy’s most important Ferdinando from 1688. He published, among other form of one in c. 1440 – but a satisfactory mechanical musical centres. Ferdinando also had influence on the things, several collections of violin sonatas that were solution had yet to be realized. In 1690 Cristofori operatic activities of the theatres in Pisa and Livorno, even reprinted in London, whereby some of the moved to Florence and worked at Ferdinando’s court, as well as of the Florentine Teatro della Pergola, and beautiful-sounding works were reworked for trans - Piano e forte where he was primarily occupied as custodian and he arranged for elaborately staged performances in his verse flute. conservator of the considerable instrument collec - summer residence in Pratolino, for which he engaged Considerably more prominent was the violinist tion. In addition, he continued to build instruments, the most famous singers of the time. The high costs Francesco Maria Veracini (1690-1768). As a native of i. hommage à bartolomeo cristofori including harpsichords and even bowed string instru - provoked criticism already at that time. Florence, Veracini performed in the early years of his ments, and also perfected his hammer action. By 1697, The composers of these operas were Ferdinando’s career at the Medici court, but did not however During the reign of the Granduca Ferdinando ii de’ at the latest, he must have had a fully developed model court chapel-master and harpsichord teacher receive a permanent engagement and therefore left his Medici (1610-1670), musical life in Florence experi - for his cimbalo con piano e forte – as he himself called it. Giovanni Maria Pagliardi (1673-1702) and court violin - hometown for Venice in 1711. In spite of longer enced a great blossoming in which the court musical In 1700 an instrument of this kind was listed in an ist Martino Bitti (1660-1743), but also such famous sojourns in London and Germany, particularly in establishment, as the sonic representative of the inventory of the Medici collection and described in artists as Giacomo Antonio Perti (1661-1756) and Dresden, he returned time and again to Florence. A reigning prince, played a leading role. Under detail for the first time. Today, only three surviving Alessandro Scarlatti (1660-1725), who were not direct - report by Charles Burney described the very personal Ferdinando’s successor Cosimo iii de’ Medici (1642- exemplars – dated 1720, 1722, and 1726 – are known. ly connected to the court. Scarlatti was present in style of his playing, his special bowing, and his pene - 1723), however, the emphasis shifted primarily to Characteristic is an astonishingly sophisticated form Florence with his whole family from June to trating and clear sound, which was able to assert itself sacred music. Impulses for secular musical life subse - of the “striking action” (which in further developed November 1702 to work on the staging of his opera against a large church or theatre orchestra. Veracini’s quently came from the court of Cosimo’s son, Gran form is still found in today’s piano), as well as hammer Flavio Cuniberto . Since 1688 he had corresponded with sonatas belong to the core repertoire of the first half Principe Ferdinando (1663-1713), who sought to set heads that are made of small rolls of parchment onto Ferdinando concerning a commission for several of the eighteenth century, with a wide spectrum of himself apart from his father. Ferdinando was a true which soft leather is glued. The sound is surprisingly works, whereby he undoubtedly – unfortunately in expressive devices and levels of difficulty. The present connoisseur of the arts, and of music in particular. “modern”, even if much softer on the whole than a vain – had hoped for a permanent position. The little- sonata from a Dresden print is well suited, with its dra - On the harpsichord he was considered an excellent modern concert grand. The steplessly variable transi - known ariettas on our recording show the high quality matic character, for accompaniment by a fortepiano. sight-reader, who knew the music by heart after a sin - tion from very soft to loud was a great novelty for of his music even in these small and very charming Among the many Italian musicians active in gle reading. stringed keyboard instruments. To be sure, the long- forms. Perhaps they were also performed in Florence, London was Lucca-born Francesco Barsanti (1690- Against this background, it is not surprising that familiar clavichord was likewise capable of fine since the principal duty of Ferdinando’s court chapel 1772), who arrived in England in 1714 together with Ferdinando took an interest in the newest develop - dynamic nuances, but within a very limited compass was the daily performance of chamber music, and Francesco Geminiani.