Mancini : Seven Recorder Sonatas

This is the first CD in the catalogue entirely devoted to chamber music works of Francesco Mancini, who was the most important Neapolitan composer of the early 18th century next to Alessandro Scarlatti. He wrote numerous operas, cantatas and other vocal works, but only a few instrumental works. In his works he bridged the gap between the Italian Baroque and tbe early classical period and these wonderful compositions all anticipate the reforms and advances that were to take place a few years later in the works of the early Classical composers.

 

Brazilian recorder player and flautist Ricardo Kanji was born in Brazil and came to The Netherlands in 1970 to study recorder and flauto traverso with Frans Brüggen and Frans Vester. In 1972 he finished these studies at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague and in the same year he was a laureate at the first International Recorder Competition in Bruges, Belgium.In 1973 he succeeded his own teacher, Frans Brüggen, as recorder professor at the Royal Conservatory, where he teaches the recorder and chamber music to pupils from all over the world. Ricardo Kanji performs with all the main baroque orchestra in The Netherlands.

Canadian violinist Marc Destrubé has performed and recorded with many of the leading period-instrument ensembles in North Americas and Europe and was untill 1993 leader of the Belgian ensemble Anima Eterna. Also an accomplished modern violinist, he lives in Vancouver where he is concert master of the CBC Radio Orchestra and active as a chamber musician and soloist. He is also a member of the Orchestra of the 18th Century.

Austrian violinist Irmgard Schaller first studied the violin at the Mozarteum in Salzburg and finished her studies at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague. She has specialised in chamber music with among others the Schönbrunn Ensemble of Amsterdam, Concerto Palatino, Ensemble 415 and London Baroque, is also a member of orchestras such as the Orchestra of the 18th Century, La Petite Bande and Anima Eterna and teaches at the Curso para musica antigua in Daroca, Spain.

Spanish violinist and violist Emilio Moreno is well-known as soloist and member of European ensembles for old music such as the Orchestra of the 18th Century, Ensemble 415 etc. He lives in Spain where he conducts La Real Camera (Madrid), is leader of La Academia de Harmonia (Barcelona), teaches violin and chamber music in conservatorium and university, and gives courses in Europe and America.

Japanese violoncellist Hidemi Suzuki was born in Kobe and won first prize at the All Japan Music Competition as well as other prizes. ln 1984 he received a scholarship from the Japanese government to study with Anner Bijlsma at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague. He has been the principal cello player of La Petite Bande since 1992 and is also a member of the Orchestra of the 18th Century.

Dutch keyboard player Jacques Ogg was born in Maastricht and studied harpsichord with Gustav Leonhardt at the Amsterdam Sweelinck Conservatory, from which he graduated in 1974. Not only as harpsichordist but also as forte piano player, he appears all over Europe and in North and South America as well as Japan. Jacques Ogg is professor at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague and at the Academy for Ancient Music in Amsterdam. He also regularly gives master classes in Cambridge, Granada, Madrid, Tokyo, Rio de Janeiro and Montevideo.