Laboccetta: A Tenor Cellist

Lozzo, Letizia Da; Dario, Alan; Storer, Tosca; Storer, Marta; Giordani, Raffaele; Matteo, Ginevra; Malagoli, Matteo; Polo, Lisa De; Centa, Cristina; Shimizu, Yukiko

Romantic miniatures by a forgotten Italian cellist and composer: the first album ever dedicated to the music of Domenico Laboccetta. Born to a poor family in the Sicilian town of Messina; Domenico Laboccetta (1823-1896) was entrusted to the care of an orphanage where his musical talents rapidly revealed themselves as a child. At the age of seven he made an appearance in concert at the Teatro Nuovo in Messina; and soon won a scholarship to study gratis at the conservatoire in Naples. At just 18; he became principal cellist of the Teatro San Carlo; at a time when the opera house was known across Europe for staging and advancing the works of bel canto composers such as Donizetti and Bellini. Through this experience; Laboccetta developed a superb tenor voice alongside his cello playing; and soon began taking lead roles in those bel canto masterpieces such as Bellini’s La Sonnambula. He went on to tour Europe and America in the 1850s; but eventually settled back in his adopted home of Naples; where he became professor of cello at the conservatoire in 1877; and passed on his mastery of the instrument to students for almost the next 20 years until his death. In Laboccetta; the cellist and indefatigable researcher Matteo Malagoli has turned up another remarkable figure down the byways of cello history. His booklet essay introduces Laboccetta’s eventful life; providing invaluable context to these miniatures written for salon performances among friends and patrons in Neapolitan musical life in the later decades of the 19th century – music written above all to charm and entertain. ‘deserves the attention of listeners intrigued by history and appreciative of fine playing. It’s an album that will make a genuine contribution to any collector’s album hoard. Album leaves; romanzas and instrumental songs are scored for cello and piano or cello and harp; but there is also a ‘Notturnino’ for two cellos and piano. More substantial is a cycle of four songs for soprano; tenor; cello and piano: all beautifully evocative pieces with an affectingly folk-like simplicity of expression. Laboccetta was also a pioneer in the genre of cello quartets; and the album closes with several such works; ingeniously scored to exploit the full register and richness of the instrument. Malagoli’s previous albums for Brilliant Classics include a disc of music by Greco and Francone (96345); welcomed in glowing terms by Fanfare magazine: ‘Early Neapolitan Cello Music… deserves the attention of listeners intrigued by history and appreciative of fine playing. It’s an album that will make a genuine contribution to any collector’s album hoard.’

Price: $20.98

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