April 2008

Istanbul International Music Festival–Concerto Italiano

The brilliant Rinaldo Alessandrini brings his ensemble to Istanbul with a special Vivaldi program featuring soloist Sara Mignardo.

Composer: Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643), Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741), TARQUINIO MERULA (c.1595-1665), GIOVANNI SALVATORE (1600-c.1688)

CD Info: Naive CD OP 30423, Opus 111/Naive CD OP 30181, Opus 111 CD OPS 30-125, Opus 111/Naive CD OP 30395,

Music from Switzerland–O Dulcis Amor

The Basel-based ensemble La Villanella shares vocal works by great women composers of the early Italian Baroque--some familiar, like Barbara Strozzi and Francesca Caccini, and some less-frequently heard, like Caterina Assandra and Vittoria Aleotti.

Composer: CATERINA ASSANDRA (c.1590-after 1618), VITTORIA ALEOTTI (c. 1575-after 1620), FRANCESCA CACCINI (1587-after 1641), BARBARA STROZZI (1619-after 1664), ISABELLA LEONARDA (1620-1704)

CD Info: CD # RAM 0401

Music from Switzerland–Canti Gregoriani

Another in the ongoing attempts to reconstruct the earliest sound of plainchant, using manuscripts from such famous Swiss sources as St. Gall and Einsiedln; the ensemble I Cantori della Turrita (founded in 1972) continues the distinguished history of chant recordings from Switzerland.

Composer:

CD Info: CD # MGB 6127

Music from Switzerland–Ex Libris Doctoris Amerbachii

Music books collected by great humanist thinkers are a treasured window into the musical life of the Renaissance--this week, another Musiques Suisses project gives us music from the book of the great Basel legal philosopher (and music lover) Bonifacius Amerbach (1495-1562).

Composer: Bonifacius Amerbach (1495-1562), JOHANNES FUCHSWILD, LUDWIG SENFL, JOHANNES HESDIMOIS, PETRARCH, HANS KOTTER, BARTOLOMEO TROMBONCINO, BENEDICTUS DUCIS, HANS BUCHNER, GEORG BRACK, PAUL HOFHAIMER, MATHIAS GREITER, PAUL WüST, WOLFGANG DACHSTEIN, SIXT DIETRICH, NINOT le PETIT, JOSQUIN DESPREZ, RUPRECHT UNTERHOLTZER, JOHAN SCHLEND

CD Info: CD # MGB 6237