The Fiery Genius: Neapolitan Instrumental Music for 1, 2, 3, and 4 Violins Ensemble Aurora, Enrico Gatti

• Leonardo Leo (1694 - 1744):
• 1 Concerto per 4 violini e basso continuo: I. Maestoso 03:17
• 2 Concerto per 4 violini e basso continuo: II. Fuga (Allegro moderato) 02:42
• 3 Concerto per 4 violini e basso continuo: III. [Siciliana] 03:52
• 4 Concerto per 4 violini e basso continuo: IV. Allegro 03:03
• Giovanni Carlo Cailò (1655 - 1722):
• 5 Sonata per violino e basso continuo: I. Adagio 01:25
• 6 Sonata per violino e basso continuo: II. Canzona 01:45
• 7 Sonata per violino e basso continuo: III. Adagio 01:09
• 8 Sonata per violino e basso continuo: IV. Allegro 00:47
• 9 Sonata per violino e basso continuo: V. Adagio 01:46
• 10 Sonata per violino e basso continuo: VI. Allegro 01:30
• Pietro Marchitelli (1643 - 1729):
• 11 Sonata per due violini e basso No. 8: I. Grave 01:30
• 12 Sonata per due violini e basso No. 8: II. [Allegro] 02:46
• 13 Sonata per due violini e basso No. 8: III. Grave 02:13
• 14 Sonata per due violini e basso No. 8: IV. [Allegro] 02:26
• Nicola Fiorenza (1700 - 1764):
• 15 Concerto di violini e basso: I. Andante largo 01:27
• 16 Concerto di violini e basso: II. Allegro 03:30
• 17 Concerto di violini e basso: III. Largo 01:11
• 18 Concerto di violini e basso: IV. Presto 01:22
• Francesco Paolo Supriani (1678 - 1753):
• 19 Toccata No. 5 a violoncello solo con la sua diminuzione 05:05
• Giovanni Carlo Cailò:
• 20 Sonata a tre violini e organo: I. Largo assai 01:10
• 21 Sonata a tre violini e organo: II. Allemanda (Allegro assai) 01:56
• 22 Sonata a tre violini e organo: III. Allegro e non presto 01:51
• 23 Sonata a tre violini e organo: IV. Andante 01:29
• 24 Sonata a tre violini e organo: V. Allegro 02:22
• 25 Sonata à due violini e cembalo: I. Adagio 01:46
• 26 Sonata à due violini e cembalo: II. Allegro 02:04
• 27 Sonata à due violini e cembalo: III. Adagio 01:50
• 28 Sonata à due violini e cembalo: IV. Allegro 02:17
• Pietro Marchitelli:
• 29 Sonata No. 2 per tre violini e basso: I. Adagio - Allegro - Adagio - Allegro - Adagio 01:35
• 30 Sonata No. 2 per tre violini e basso: II. Presto 03:07
• 31 Sonata No. 2 per tre violini e basso: III. Adagio 02:47
• 32 Sonata No. 2 per tre violini e basso: IV. [Allegro] 01:34
• Total Runtime 01:08:34

Info for The Fiery Genius: Neapolitan Instrumental Music for 1, 2, 3, and 4 Violins

The central role of Naples in the history of vocal music has so far overshadowed a rich tradition of instrumental music; only in recent years has musicological research begun bringing it to light once more, demonstrating that Naples also played a crucial role in the field of instrumental music, no less relevant than other centres more often associated with this repertory, such as Rome and Venice.

This album presents a voyage of discovery into a musical heritage that is even less known, but of the highest value. The new project conceived by Enrico Gatti focuses on the specific scoring for three or four violins (without viola) and continuo which was so typical of the Neapolitan School.

Precious gems are unearthed here (including the only solo violin sonata by Giovanni Carlo Cailò, in its first modern recording), and this programme makes many different exponents of Neapolitan instrumental composition accessible to a wider public, from the generation of Pietro Marchitelli (slightly older than Corelli) and Giovanni Carlo Cailò to Francesco Paolo Supriani, Angelo Ragazzi, Nicola Fiorenza and Leonardo Leo – contemporaries of Bach, Tartini and Locatelli, yet who are revealed as possessing a completely different style, at a time when Naples was one of the great European capitals. The musical forms range from church sonatas in the strict style to concertos of more modern conception, thus providing an enjoyable and varied listening experience.

Ensemble Aurora
Enrico Gatti, direction, violin

Ensemble Aurora
Inspired by Eos, the rosy-fingered goddess, the Aurora ensemble was founded in 1986 by Enrico Gatti and other musicians keen on the study and performance of the Italian musical heritage. All members of the group have an accurate personal musical training, and have specialized and qualified in the most prestigious European schools such as the Royal Conservatory of The Hague, the Schola Cantorum of Basel, the Centre de Musique Ancienne of the Conservatory of Geneva, the Mozarteum in Salzburg, the Conservatoire Supérieure of Paris.

In a time when ancient music sonority is getting a very nervous and rhythmical physiognomy, the Aurora Ensemble has based its sound emission research on the most peculiar characteristic of the XVII and XVIII century aesthetics: the imitation of nature and consequently of human voice, in its dynamics, pronunciations and articulations. On this base the correct use of original instruments according to repertoire is not conceived as an aim, but as a precious mean in order to recover the Italian tradition, characterized by nobility and refinement that can be obtained only through a perfect balance between rigorous preparation and interpretative fancy.

The ensemble has started by making accurate studies on the XVII century literature and on the "sonatas a tre" by A. Corelli, in order to obtain a necessary stylistic base to be able to perform later music without risking to make anachronistic interpretations.

Besides many instrumental programs, other programs with secular cantatas, lamentations for the Holy Week, the important oratorios "La Susanna" and “San Giovanni Battista” by A. Stradella and the Stabat Mater by L. Boccherini have been performed, in collaboration with singers like Roberta Invernizzi, Gemma Bertagnolli, Gloria Banditelli, Guillemette Laurens, Jill Feldman, Roberta Mameli, Lavinia Bertotti, Gian Paolo Fagotto.

The group has been on tour all over Europe, United States, South America and Japan, being guest of important concert seasons, among which remarkable are the Festival van Vlaanderen, Lufthansa Festival London, Festival des Cathedrales, Ambrases Schlosskonzerte Innsbruck, Festival International de Musique Sacrée de Lourdes, Tage Alten Musik Herne, Théatre de Caen, The Library of Congress (Washington), Festival Vivaldi in Veneto, Musica e Poesia a San Maurizio (Milano).

The Aurora Ensemble made recordings for Tactus, Symphonia, Arcana and Glossa, for which it has made various first world recordings. The group has gained twice the I International Prize Antonio Vivaldi for the best Italian instrumental music recording in 1993 and 1998 and several times the "diapason d'or”, in particular for all the Corelli Cds.

Booklet for The Fiery Genius: Neapolitan Instrumental Music for 1, 2, 3, and 4 Violins