Domenico Scarlatti La Dirindina

Federico Guglielmo and his historical instruments ensemble Larte dellarco turn to sinfonias and sonatas by Domenico Scarlatti and to the same composers short intermezzo farce La Dirindina. The intermezzo was a type of entracte music inserted as comic relief between the acts of court dramas and operas during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. This particular farsetta involves the personal relations between a budding opera diva and her teacher; she is vain and reluctant to practice, and he is extremely jealous of her lover.

Founded in 1998 by harpsichordist and conductor Matthew Dirst, Ars Lyrica Houston offers world-class performances of music from the 17th and 18th centuries on period instruments. This CD follows their previous release on Sono Luminus, Marc’ Antonio e Cleopatra (DSL92115) which was hailed by Early Music America as “a thrilling performance that glows in its quieter moments and sparkles with vitality,” and was nominated for a GRAMMY® Award for Best Opera 2011.

Domenico Scarlatti’s La Dirindina and Albinoni’s Pimpinone are two 'intermezzi buffi', which were comic operatic interludes inserted between acts or scenes of an opera seria.
Pimpinone was performed for the first time in Venice in 1708, as the interlude for Astarto, Albinoni’s own opera seria. The work was an immediate success and was given many further performances, both in Italy and abroad. La Dirindina was composed seven years later, in 1715, by Domenico Scarlatti, son of Alessandro.