Handel

I Solisti Italiani is a chamber string orchestra consisting of about 12 players, known particularly for their spirited readings of works from the Baroque and Classical periods. They have performed and recorded much Vivaldi over the years and have devoted nearly as much effort to the works of Handel, Mozart, Mendelssohn, and Rossini…

This disk was released in Russia by "Kvadro Disk" in 2006 as part of their "Romantic Classic" series. It is a collection of the most popular Handel's works - Water Music, Fireworks, Menuets, etc. The recording quality is very good, the performers are: Государственный камерный оркестр "Виртуозы Москвы" и Академический симфонический оркестр Ленинградской государственной филармонии (The State Chamber Orchestra "Moscow Virtuosi" and Leningrad State Philharmonic Orchestra)

Soprano Francesca Aspromonte and violinist Boris Begelman present an all-Handel programme exploring the vicissitudes of love, together with Arsenale Sonoro. On Un’alma innamorata, Aspromonte urges us to take ownership of our amorous infatuations, rather than blaming it on Cupid’s arrows. The programme consists of several worldly cantatas with violino concertante – including the famous Mi palpita il cor and a world premiere recording of S’un dì m’appaga la mia crudele – interspersed with instrumental sonatas. The overall chamber-musical approach of Un’alma innamorata increases the emotional impact of the tragic heroines depicted by Aspromonte.

This album is devoted to Handel's concertante music for solo oboe, of which only a few concertos have survived. He was particularly fond of the instrument and assigned many solos to it in his oratorios, operas, concerti grossi and sonatas. He is even reported to have said of his early oboe works: 'I used to write like the D-v [Devil] in those days, but chiefly for the oboe, which was my favourite instrument.'

Maurizio Baglini (born 1975 in Pisa), is an Italian pianist. Prizewinner in major international piano competitions such as Concorso Busoni in Bolzano, Fryderyk Chopin Competition, he subsequently was awarded the 1998 William Kapell Competition's 3rd prize in Maryland, and 1999, aged only 24, he won the World Music Piano Master in Montecarlo.