Chiesa Zero

Tomaso Albinoni was a composer who was different from most of his colleagues in presenting himself as a dilettante. That didn't prevent him from being highly appreciated, not only in Italy but also abroad. His music has been found in many locations across Europe. There are various pirated editions of his works and collections with sonatas claimed to be from his pen. Their authenticity is highly questionable but their quantity bears further witness to his status.

Tomaso Albinoni is one of the greatest composers of the Italian Baroque, together with Vivaldi, Corelli and Locatelli. The greatest part of his works however is mostly unknown. Therefore, Brilliant Classics plans to issue a substantial series of his works, starting with this first recording of the complete Trattenimenti Armonici. A series of 12 sonatas, for violin, cello and instrumental ensemble, in Sonata da Chiesa style: small scale, alternating fast and slow movements. The violin has a leading role in the typically Italian vocal writing of the solo part.

Corelli's Op. 6 contains two types of concerto, one termed da chiesa, the other da camera. The first eight concertos of the set belong to the former category, while the remaining four, of a less ostensibly serious character, belong to the second. Sometimes the differences are little more than terminological since there are, for instance, several clearly dance-orientated movements among the da chiesa concertos. The Brandenburg Consort give an affectionate and stylish account of these works…The playing is full of vitality and also responsive to the satisfying sounds inherent in Corelli's rich ripieno textures. The concertino group of two violins and cello also comes over effectively, providing that balanced contrast between small and larger units of sound.

Massimo Lonardi avait bien enregistré un album assez réussi, consacré lui aussi à la fois à Milano et Borrono, mais cet album de Paolo Cherici, de toute facon plus disponible, est la meilleure facon de découvrir Pietro Paolo Borrono, un des compositeurs majeurs du XVIe siècle italien, particulièrement réputé pour ses danses, et un des plus oubliés au disque (même s'il est régulièrement cité dans les anthologies via une ou deux pièces) maintenant que presque tous les autres grands luthistes, hormis Dalza (même si le même Paolo Cherici a enregistré un très bon album Dalza - Spinacino chez Pan classics), ont eu droit à leur disque dédié: Spinacino, Dall'Aquila, Capirola, Alberto da Ripa… et bien sûr Milano dont la discographie est maintenant riche.

In the 16th and 17th centuries the vast majority of images of cornetto players are depictions angel musicians, often in the company of angelic voices, viols, violins, trombones, organs and harps. Taking this image as a point of departure, Hana Blažíková and I, following the success of our project “Breathtaking”, have developed and recorded a new program around the pairing of the voice and the cornetto. Once again we explore the wonderful way the voice and cornetto can play off of each other in diverse repertoires from the 17th century to the present day.

Il Viaggio is an offering, a quest for musical, physical, and spiritual renewal, born from an emotional memory awakened. Joining the concrete and ambient, it drifts from the natural sounds of a new day towards a dreamed world. Taking to the road to reinvent oneself is the common thread running through this album, which is organized as a sonic journey in two parts, Lay Your Ear To The Rail (Disc 1) and The Chaos Azure (Disc 2).