Bagno

Stravaganza is an exciting journey throughout the most varied affects found in Italian instrumental and vocal music from 1500 to 1700. The unique combination of both arpa doppia and harpsichord, two polyphonic instruments with a wide tradition in Italy at that time, offers a suggestive and innovative performance of this repertoire. Sara Águeda and Javier Núñez achieve an impressive richness of sounds and colors, adding great ingenuity to this wonderful music.

Following the premiere of Brescianello’s Tisbe, Johann David Heinichen’s Flavio Crispo is now the second discovery of a never-performed Baroque opera in an interpretation by Il Gusto Barocco. This Italian opera by Heinichen, one of the most valuable documents of its times in matters of compositional history, had been forgotten for some three hundred years until the ensemble premiered it in 2016. The historical circumstances behind this opera are very special: a quarrel involving the two world-famous castrati Senesino and Berselli caused a scandal that prevented the premiere of Heinichen’s opera at the Dresden court. Some anecdotes relate that the singers accused the composer of imperfect knowledge of Italian and tore the score to shreds during the rehearsal process while he looked on. Others state that Handel had wooed away the Dresden singers during a journey from Italy to London. The score is a masterpiece.