This preview has been provided by Carolina Pro Musica.
Carolina Pro Musica performs music of Italian origin on April 21, 2012 at 8:00 pm at St. Martin’s Episcopal Church, Charlotte. “Italian Inspirations” focuses on several composers who influenced music in 18th century Europe and beyond. The ensemble, consisting of director and harpsichordist Karen Jacob, soprano Rebecca Miller Saunders, flutist/recorder player Edward Ferrell and viola da gamba player Holly Wright Maurer, will be joined by baroque violinist Thomas LaJoie for this season’s closing concert.
Included will be Trio Sonata in D major, Opus 3#2, by Arcangelo Corelli, whose music had broad appeal. The works of Corelli have simplicity of musical line with interactions between voices allowing for performers to add ornamentation without disrupting the compositional style. Corelli’s trios and other works were reprinted numerous times over the course of one hundred years. The Opus 3 sonatas date from 1689.
Ferrell will be featured in a recorder sonata in G minor by Padre Diogenio Bigaglia, a Benedictine monk who lived at San Giorgio in Venice. The ensemble was honored in February by ArsAntiquapresents (podcast originating at WFMT- Chicago) for a performance of this work. Ferrell will also perform Pietro Locatelli’s Sonata for flute in G, Opus 2 #4. The young Locatelli was sent to Rome to study violin with Corelli. His compositions would be primarily for his instrument, the violin. The Opus 2 sonatas are quite florid like violin compositions, but were listed for flute (not violin) when published in 1732.
The Italian vocal tradition will be ably demonstrated by soprano Rebecca Saunders in a cantata “Sò d’essermi d’amor” by the Venetian Antonio Lotti. Composed around 1700 the work consists of typical recitatives and arias including a movement with an obbligato bass instrument. Little is known about the origins of this cantata and many others by Lotti although we know he was married to a famous soprano.
Rounding out the program will be works of Domenico Scarlatti including an early harpsichord sonata and two arias from the opera Tetide in Sciro which premiered in 1712.
Join Carolina Pro Musica on April 21st, and let the music of Italy inspire you as much as it does the performers.
