La Musique au Temps des Castrats (Music from the age of Castratos)

Vocal music in the XVIII century belonged to castratos. Their voice were so unique and irreplaceable, they didnt have rivals, they knew they were the best (I mean the big names such as, Farinelli, Carestini, Senesiano, Guadagni, etc). Now we have countertenors as a proxy for their voice, but still we dont know how close to the original castrato voice are, because the voice of a countertenor is just an imitation, while castratos developed their voice in the phisiological way, so, making their voice more pure.

The cd is a jewel, since it containes works sung by acclaimed countertenors that Im sure their names will be written in history music books like James Bowman, Dominique Visse and Gérard Lesne. Not sure about  Derek Ree Ragin, but he will be remmembered because he and the soprano Ewa Mallas-Godlewska made the voice for Farinelly in the 1994 film "Farinelli". The last aria "Son qual Nave" of Ricardo Broschi, brother of Farinelli's (Carlo Broschi) comes from the film where their voices were electronically mixed.

Enjoy!

Flac     Mp3

Il Primo Uomo - Arias for Nicolini

Nicolini (Nicola Grimaldo (1673-1732)) was the first castrato in his time, he increased the popularity of Italian opera in England. The very Handel was astonished by Nicolini's voice, that he composed arias specifically for him. The same did others composers of first hand, such as  Alessandro Scarlatti, Caldara, Leo, etc.

All the time he performed, he raised the public entusiam not only for his singing, but because of his portent and good looking, and excepcional aptitutes to act. In few words, he was a super star in the very late XVII century and the beggining of the XVIII.

Enjoy!

Flac     Mp3

Arcadia - Andreas Scholl

To complement my last post, I decided to post also this jewel of pieces devoted for "castrati" made by composers members of  the "Accademia degli Arcadia" in Rome.

From my own experience, I have found that recordings after world premieres are better, but this is an exception among few. This recording brings to life composers that unfortunately have been relegated to obscurity, such as, Gasparini, Bencini or even more, Benedetto Marcello. Alessandro Scarlatti and Corelli were once relegated, but by the time of this recording, they were already greatly revived.  

Enjoy!

Flac      Mp3

Ombra mai fu - Haendel - (Andreas Scholl)

Handel was basically was a composer of dramatic music, in which opera was the most developed and required more attention. Some arias between his operas became relevant and his operas very famous, but certainly the aria "Ombra mai fu" of his opera Xerses is the most known of all. Andreas Scholl interprets it with great mastery and delicateness, thanks to his well educated alto voice.

Enjoy!

Flac       Mp3

Alexander's Feast or The Power of Musick - Handel

Alexander's Feast was completed in January 1736, and was intended to celebrate Saint Cecilia's day. It's a dramatic set in which Alexander the Great, in a night of drunkenness is induced by his mistress Thais to set fire to the Persian city Persepolis. The drama is accompanied by the music arousements on Alexander moods of Timotheus playing the lire and the flute, culminating in an apotheosis to "divine Cecilia", the patron of music.

Enjoy!

FLAC             MP3

Part1

Part2

"Thanks to the original releaser"

Music for the Royal Fireworks, Concerto a due cori, other works - Handel

Which are the most known works of an x composer? If one asks to a not very versed people in classical music that questions, sure in a certain way it'll depict how famous is and was that x composer. In the case of Handel, the answer will be his three more interpreted works: Water music, music for the royal fireworks and his Messiah. No doubt just few people will be able to answer, and the answers will fir just to few composers.

Handel also likes to recycle music ideas, as he took the main ideas of previous works to make up  a new work, that's the case with his concerti a due cori, where he took parts mainly from his oratorios to construct these orchestral pieces. Of course he did that to other works, like in his cantatas. 

Enjoy!!!

EAC+LOG+CUE | FLAC: 208 MB | Scans

MP3 320 Kbps | 109 MB | Scans

FLAC                  MP3

In Tempore Nativitatis (Christmas Cantatas) - Bach

Just 13 Christmas cantatas of Bach's survive along with the 3 contained in his christmas oratorio. While appointed at the Thomas Church in Leipzig, he was required to set a cantata for every sunday and for the main church festivities. In total he composed over 300, approximately 200 of which are extant. 

A curious fact is in the first cantata presented "Unser Mond sei voll Lachens" BWV 110, that  opens with an arrangement taken from the Orchestral suite No. 4 BWV 1069.

All in all there are not many words coming up to express what I feel about this cd, sometimes I disagree what the analysis in the booklet says, but the important thing is that each one can have its own judgement about it, just let yourself go through the music.

Enjoy!!!

EAC+LOG+CUE | FLAC: 356 MB | Scans

MP3 320 Kbps | 168 MB | Scans

FLAC                  MP3

Concerti Napoletani per Violoncello

Many theatrical music composers like Porpora or Leonardo  Leo were also masters in instrumental music. Regarding the cello repertory, Naples' school became maybe the most prominent around this instrument, and thanks to this school, cello became an obbligato instruments in sacred and secular vocal repertory.

The key piece of this recording is (to me) the Porpora's Cello concerto in G major. The first movement is an adagio, whose orchestration is quite simple, but manage to serve as background for the cello in a very dense way. The second movement (Allegro) is very different to other  cello concerto allegros, it is very brilliant, at the first part, the orchestra plays an equal roll as the cello to gradually be fainted out almost at the end by the virtuosic display of the cello. The second adagio is very pleasant, less dense than the first, but deeper in fluidity and peacefulness. The last movement, an allegro, also very difficult and plenty of ideas that shocks whoever listen to it, it is is an expressiveness that Porpora and others few were able to display.

  The other concertos are also great. Say what do you prefer.

Enjoy!!!

EAC+LOG+CUE | FLAC: 425 MB | Scans

MP3 320 Kbps | 178 MB | Scans

FLAC                  MP3

Part1

Part2 

Cantatas Vol III - Alessandro Scarlatti

Enjoy!!!

EAC+LOG+CUE | FLAC: 357 MB | Scans

MP3 320 Kbps | 185 MB | Scans

FLAC                  MP3

Cantatas Vol II - Alessandro Scarlatti

Enjoy!!!

EAC+LOG+CUE | FLAC: 379 MB | Scans

MP3 320 Kbps | 183 MB | Scans

FLAC                  MP3