Girolamo Frescobaldi - Biagio Marini - Dario Castello - Giovanni Antonio Bertoli - Giuseppe Scarani - Giovanni Picchi

Castello & Co - Venetian sonatas for winds and strings from the 17th century

Caecilia-Concert

Label: Challenge Classics
Format: CD
Barcode: 0608917254723

Catalog number: CC 72547
Releasedate: 28-05-12

Most the composers/musicians presented on this CD were employed by the Basilica of San Marco in Venice, often working as both singers as well as instrumentalists, such as Dario Castello (fl. Venice 1st half of the 17th century).With Castello & Co the members of the Caecilia-Concert bring a fresh, dynamic approach to this groundbreaking instrumental chamber music, and demonstrate the expressive flexibility and technical fireworks this new repertoire demands from these old instruments.

A fresh, dynamic approach to this groundbreaking instrumental chamber music
The expressive flexibility and technical fireworks from this new repertoire demand from these old instruments
Composers presented on this CD were employed by the Basilica of San Marco in Venice, often working as both singers as well as instrumentalists, such as Dario Castello (fl. Venice 1st half of the 17th century)
Caecilia-Concert is a versatile, international ensemble, specialising in the performance of 17th century music for instruments and voices
Since a successful debut in Holland, Caecilia-Concert has enjoyed a succession of well-received concerts in many festivals, including the Utrecht Early Music Festival, Festival of Flanders, Ton Koopman’s Itineraire Baroque Festival in France, and the Brunnenthaler Konzertsommer in Austria.

Many of the composers/musicians presented on this CD were employed by the Basilica of San Marco in Venice, often working as both singers as well as instrumentalists, such as Dario Castello (fl. Venice 1st half of the 17th century). While there is little information currently available on his life and work, we can read on the title page of his editions that he was a musician at San Marco and the leader of a wind ensemble. He produced two collections of sonatas, with in total 29 works, published in Venice in 1621 and 1629. Castello’s sonatas are a reflection of the stilo moderno style of composing, with varying tempi and dramatic changes of affect. They also contain virtuosic passagework for each instrument. There were numerous reprints of Castello’s music, including one in Antwerp, indicating the popularity and continuing influence of his compositions.

With Castello & Co. the members of the Caecilia-Concert bring a fresh, dynamic approach to this groundbreaking instrumental chamber music, and demonstrate the expressive flexibility and technical fireworks this new repertoire demands from these old instruments.

The other composers, besides Castello, on this cd are:
Giuseppe Scarani (fl 1628-1642), Biagio Marini (1594 - 1663),Giovanni Antonio Bertoli (fl c1639 – 1645), Giovanni Picchi (fl 1600-25), Girolamo Frescobaldi (1583 – 1643)

Chromatic Recercada from Fiori Musicali