Fossilium Catalogus i Animalia 122123

This album of works by Bartolomeo Bernardi by the I Solisti Ambrosiani Ensemble provides us with recordings of unreleased material from this little-known Italian composer and violinist.

In 2021, the international contemporary music festival Only Connect commissioned an interpretation from I LIKE TO SLEEP of the first movement of Olivier Messiaen’s Turangalila symphony. A project which initially led to a 15-minute piece performed at the festival, with the trio re-writing the music of Messiaen, but also rewriting the music of their own. Messiaen as a reference and compositional tool may be heard in the album for those really listening for references. With “Sleeping Beauty” the trio also explore even heavier riffs than before, seasick grooves and tempi, and deeper ambient soundscapes. Through extensive improvisation, the effects and processing of the sounds are way more extreme than before, almost awakening the sleeping beauty.

A well-regarded composer in his own right, Leopold I transformed the Viennese court into a centre of European culture. The beautiful settings he wrote for the burials of his first two wives, as well as his music for the Feast of the Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary, are testament to the Emperor’s musical talent.

Galuppi was a very accomplished composer and harpsichord player by the age of twenty with a reputation in both Venice and Florence. He was a pupil of Marcello and played for Vivaldi. He composed many serious and comic operas as well as much sacred and keyboard music. During his 79 years he travelled to St Petersburg and was well-known to the Tsar‘s family. He collaborated with the famous Italian playwright Goldoni in many projects. Goldoni‘s epigram on Galuppi: “What music! What style! What masterworks!”

Diego Fasolis and his ensemble ''I Barocchisti'' have been acclaimed from the press many times as one of the best ensemble for ancient music. Statements like ''Simply a terrific recording'' (American Record Guide for ARTS 47573-2 Bach – Motetes) and ''These two recordings (ARTS 47694-2 Bach Psalm 51 and ARTS 47695-2 Bach Cantatas) confirm the places of Diego Fasolis and the ensemble I Barocchisti among those musicians who really count.'' (Le Monde de la Musique) encouraged us to promptly release another recording from this ensemble.