10 Concerti Grossi Opus 2 - Sonate, Sinfonie

Description

Giovanni Lorenzo Gregori (1663-1745) : 10 Concerti grossi a più Stromenti Op.2 - Alessandro Stradella (1644-1682) : Sonate "In due cori", Sinfonia "Per la Santissimo Natale", Sonata di viole "Concertino di due violini, e leuto, Concerto grosso di viole", Sinfonia "Qual prodigio"
Giovanni Lorenzo Gregori (1663 - 1745), "Maestro di capella amenissimo, bravo sonatore di violino", worked mainly in his hometown of Lucca. His main work, 10 Concerti Opus 2, is an almost visionary achievement, particularly because he expressly requested a powerful orchestral sound. Each concerto has its own varied and multifaceted character. The solo passages of the two violins are only brief interludes. The emphasis is on the lively orchestral idiom and its many surprises; unprecedented combinations of string instruments are as exciting as the transparent and animated dialogues within the orchestra. Alessandro Stradella (1644-1682) was constantly involved in love affairs and other incidents, the last of which resulted in his assassination on the Piazza Bianchi in Genoa. This did not detract from the quality of his compositions. In many ways, his works are still modern, thanks to his talent for combining different timbres and orchestral volumes, and for engaging musicians in inspired exchanges and mutual imitations.