Piano E Forte

María Cristina Kiehr, soprano; Edoardo Torbianelli, cimbalo di marteletti (pianoforte); Chiara Banchini, violin; Marc Hantaï, traverse; Rebeka Rusò, viola da gamba; Daniele Caminiti, theorbo & archlute

Music at the Medici Court on Cristofori's early pianoforte (c 1730)
Lodovico Giustini di Pistoia: Andante, ma non presto (from Suonata terza), Suonata I - Francesco Maria Veracini: Suonata quarta - Martino Bitti: Sonata VII - Francesco Barsanti: Sonata IV - Alessandro Scarlatti: Ariettas (for soprano, traverso and thorough bass) - Alessandro Marcello: Serenata ad Irene (for soprano and thorough bass), Riposo di Clori (for soprano and thorough bass), Adagio from Sonata ottava

In addition to the quality of the music and the performance of it, central to any recording bearing he Schola Cantorum Basiliensis' imprimatur is that there should be a very good (musicological) detective story behind it and this Edoardo Torbianelli-led programme of Piano e forte is no exception. Existing thinking deems that the fortepiano was hardly a prevalent instrument in Italy in the 18th century at all, in terms of music written for it or suitable instruments being available, but based on the work of Renato Meucci, Kathrin Menzel and Torbianelli a spotlight is being shone on the figure of Bartolomeo Cristofori and his building of early pianofortes for the Medici Court in Florence. This was around the time of the end of that formidable dynasty - the 1730s - but Cristofori was active enough also to encourage composers such as Alessandro Marcello, Veracini and Alessandro Scarlatti to write for this instrument - much softer in sound than a grand piano but with that steplessly variable transition from very soft to loud which was a great novelty for stringed keyboard instruments of the time.
Demonstrating the musical and technical qualities of the results are internationally-recognised performers of the stamp of soprano María Cristina Kiehr, violinist Chiara Banchini and flautist Marc Hantaï. They join Edoardo Torbianelli and other rising artists in gambist Rebeka Rusò and theorbist Daniele Caminiti in a sparkling array of ariettas, serenatas and sonatas for keyboard and other instruments, portraying the richness of Italian musical life in the first half of the 18th century, the travelling lives of musicians (and instrument makers).

Price: $27.98

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