Matteo Mancusso

A pioneer of modern ethnomusicology, Béla Bartók unflaggingly studied the folk traditions of Central Europe. His intent was twofold: to study and promote these musics he loved so much, but also to nourish his own language as a composer. This appropriation came about on the most superficial plane, via arrangement (Three Popular Songs from Csik, Romanian
Folk Dances, Improvisations on Hungarian Peasant Songs) or imitation of peasant tunes (Two Romanian Folk Dances).

This new recording by Matteo Cicchitti and his ensemble Musica Elegentia is devoted to Michele Mascitti, a Baroque composer who, already in his time, was particularly esteemed and rightly considered a major testimonial of Italian instrumental music in France in the 18th century. In particular, this world premiere recording of his Triosonatas op. 1, published in Paris in 1704, spotlights the composer's attempt to recall the tradition of the Corellian sonata, while complying with the French 'gout' of the dedicatee, the Duke d'Orléans.