Imagin' Aria La Tempesta (1999)

The repertoire of Finnish music for violin and orchestra is full of hidden gems, with a substantial amount of works remaining unperformed and unpublished. The music on this recording represents a style of light classical music that was popular from the 1930s to the 1960s but remains largely forgotten today. All of the composers represented here created highly lyrical and charming works, including Uuno Klami who, after Sibelius, is considered one of the most important composers in the history of Finnish music.

Leclair, sans conteste le plus important compositeur français de sonates pour violon au XVIIIe siècle, nous livre dans ce recueil la quintessence de son art. Et du point de vue de la virtuosité, des difficultés techniques (pour le violon), il faudra attendre un Paganini, au XIXe, pour trouver de la surenchère. Fétis, l'auteur de la fameuse Biographie Universelle des Musiciens, nous dit que, dans le Dictionnaire Dramatique de l'abbé de La Porte (et Chamfort), on peut lire : « Il manqua toujours à Leclair cette portion de génie qui sert à cacher l'art lui-même, de manière qu'il devienne presque insensible dans la jouissance de l'effet. »

Le Destin du Nouveau Siècle (‘The Fate of the New Century’): what a pertinent idea for a libretto for the year 1700! This unknown opera-ballet by Campra, premiered at the College Louis-le-Grand, foreshadowed the century that was opening in France, where Louis XIV had been King for… 57 years!

Nach der ersten CD "Il primo amore" mit Frühwerken von Marianna Martines (1744-1812), die von der Presse als "interpretatorische Delikatesse" (Rondo) gelobt wurde, hat die Cembalistin Nicholeta Paraschivescu mit dem Ensemble La Floridiana und der Mezzosopranistin Anna Bonitatibus nun drei späte Kantaten, ein Cembalokonzert sowie eine Sonate dieser herausragenden Komponistin des 18. Jahrhunderts aufgenommen, darunter drei Weltersteinspielungen.

Outstanding trumpet player Gabriele Cassone and harpsichordist Antonio Frigé are the fine interpreters of these works, full of brio and of savoury descriptive writing à la français. The use of the trumpet reveals itself very suitable for some pieces, particularly those of the Cinquième Concert, entitled La Guerre (hence the CD title), whose martial features indeed seem to call for such an instrument. The interpretation of the "Pian & Forte" ensemble, with its full and brilliant sound produced by six Baroque trumpets, strings and timpani, contributes to attain the martial spirit of these late 17th-century compositions.

Renaissance music for the Tenebrae constitutes an endless fund of passionate and evocative polyphony. The nature and design of the texts beautifully articulates the music, alternating the single letter that opens each section with more expansive music for the Lamentations proper and ending with the words ‘Jerusalem, convertere ad Dominum Deum tuum’. There is no clear explanation why Paul van Nevel chose these four particular settings, but they do show some of the range of styles adopted across the years, opening with the little-known set by Tiburtio Massaino (published in 1599) and ending with the superb Good Friday set that is among the last works of Lassus.