Neapolitan Concertos

Early 18th-century Naples was a flourishing centre for the production of sophisticated instrumental music – a diverse panorama characterized by an extraordinary variety of genres and forms. Naples prided itself on being an important school of repertoire for string instruments, emanating from the city’s conservatories, the foundries of famous masters and virtuoso students. The Neapolitan interest in string instruments was not only reserved to the violin – here represented by a Violin Concerto by Pergolesi –; great importance was also attached to the cello which in the course of the 17th century gradually became a solo instrument, emancipating itself from a mere “basso continuo instrument”.

The program presented on this release is one more typically found on small labels specializing in the Baroque era than on the major and sonically sumptuous Hyperion label, but for those who enjoy the virtuoso instrumental music of the Baroque it will live up to its surroundings. Naples in the middle of the 18th century was the largest city in Italy and one of the 10 largest in the word. Then as now, Naples attracted distinguished visitors with its scenic surroundings, but it was a hot, chaotic place from which creative people departed if they could. Of the big three Neapolitan opera composers, Leonardo Leo, Leonardo Vinci, and Niccolò Jommelli, only Jommelli is represented here. It's hard to detect traces of their novel operatic styles in these flute concertos, which are nicely oriented toward solo display without losing a sense of overall balance.

Giovanni Sollima has been successfully pursuing a twin career as cellist and as a composer and it is in both capacities that the Palermo-born musician appears now on a new recording from Glossa. Sollima teams up with I Turchini of Antonio Florio in a captivating demonstration of virtuoso concerto treasures from Leonardo Leo, Giuseppe de Majo and Nicola Fiorenza. The quality of their committed music-making is underscored by Dinko Fabris who, in an accompanying essay, provides yet another lucid exposition of a musical climate unknown to many.

For their first album "Sospiri d'amanti" with Spanish soprano Nuria Rial the Early Music ensemble Artemandoline was highly praised: "Here the mandolins sing that it is a pleasure" (Opernwelt). With their second album they take their listeners on a musical journey to 18th century Naples. Whether in the opera house, in the theaters or conservatories - music was omnipresent in Naples. It played an important role in the numerous salons and palaces where the clergy, music lovers and patrons of the arts met. So it is not surprising that not only the famous opera style of the Neapolitan School, but also a "Neapolitan Mandolin School" with its own sound and specific techniques was developed. For the first time, the ensemble Artemandoline has recorded five Neapolitan concertos on original instruments as world premiere recording, showing unusual but highly interesting aspects of Italian instrumental music. These Baroque concertos by composers such as Giovanni Paisiello (1740-1816), Giuseppe Giuliano (18th century), Domenico Caudioso (18th century) and Carlo Cecere (1706-1761) fascinate with their harmonic twists, ornate details and their own great melodic ingenuity.

Salieri's own autograph work-list contains the following entry: 'Two concertos for the pianoforte, written for two ladies." Unfortunately we do not know who these two ladies were. All that we can say for certain is that they must both have been technically accomplished and trained to the highest musical standards. Salieri's demanding concertos are distinguished in the main by their middle movements, traditionally the genre's most fertile field of experimentation.

A leading composer at the time Italian Leonardo Leo (1694-1744) is now relatively unknown. In his extensive output mainly consisting of dozens of operas and sacred works his instrumental music has had a somewhat hidden existence. Although he was trained as a cellist himself his six concertos are the only solo pieces he wrote for the cello. Until 1700 writing solo for this accompaniment instrument par excellence had been unusual anyway.