Corelli Ottavio Dantone

These are fine performances of the foundational documents of the modern instrumental sonata, but listeners should sample them and be sure they're on board with all of the assumptions being made here. Corelli's 12 Violin Sonatas, Op. 5, are divided between the sonata da camera (chamber sonata) and sonata da chiesa (church sonata) types, between short suites of dance-based movements and abstract, mostly binary structures, respectively.

Una delle chiavi di volta della storia della musica è costituita dai Concerti Grossi op. VI di Arcangelo Corelli. Dopo la storica versione proposta da Amadeus nel 1998 con l’aggiunta degli strumenti a fiato, nell’interpretazione di Federico Maria Sardelli e dell’ensemble Modo Antiquo (nomination al Grammy Award), il ritorno alla versione per archi, così come è codificata dalla tradizione, era doveroso, ineludibile e, possiamo dire, imposto dalla magistrale interpretazione di Ottavio Dantone e dell’Accademia Bizantina.

Countertenor Andreas Scholl's new CD is devoted to little-known, late-17th- and early-18th-century cantatas whose subject matter is Arcadia, a real region in Greece, but more frequently evoked as an idyllic place filled with innocent, simple shepherds and shepherdesses. Scholl employs a more operatic tone and attitude than we're accustomed to from countertenors. Not only does he use vibrato and "lean" on the voice, but he dips down, as in the final moments of a cantata by Marcello, into a deep, dark baritone range. The effect is dramatic and apt. Elsewhere his tone is just gorgeous and always expressive, he pays attention to the text of these works and captures the theatrical moment in each. The last movement of a work by Francesco Gasparini is excitingly acrobatic.

The Accademia Bizantina under conductor and keyboardist Ottavio Dantone is one of a number of young Italian historical-instrument groups that have been revolutionizing the world of Baroque instrumental music performance. The basic idea of the style of this group and its compatriots is that the dominant genre and stylistic exemplar of Italian music in the early 18th century was opera, and that instrumental music ought to reflect the sense of high drama that an operatic audience would have expected.

This is just a beautiful recording. The perspective is close so every detail is clearly captured, but there is plenty of ambiance. The music is great,too. Scarlatti may not be as melodically inventive as Handel or Corelli, but this is no amateur music! He makes frequent use of counterpoint, usually imitative, and varies the movement order and number of movements considerably, which adds some needed variety when listening to all six concerti in one sitting. The performers play with great gusto and precision. Highly recommended.