The medici castrato, a hommage to Gualberto Magli

Description

The stimulating voice of the Italian countertenor Raffaele Pe - who recently captivated a diverse audience at concerts and opera with John Eliot Gardiner, Claudio Cavina, Christophe Coin, and Paul McCreesh - can now be appreciated in his recital for Glossa entitled "The Medici Castrato". Pe draws inspiration from Gualberto Magli, a castrato of the Florentine court of the Medici in the early 17th century: thanks to the unconditional support of his master Giulio Caccini, he became one of the masters of the new monody. Magli's reputation was undeniably established after his flamboyant performance at the premiere of Monteverdi's "L'Orfeo," several pages of which are sung here by Pe. The modern tribute to the castrati like Gualberto Magli, by Alessandro Ciccolini and composers of the Seicento, from Francesca and Giulio Caccini to Sigismondo d'India, is accompanied by monodies signed by others still in the shadows: Girolamo Montesardo, or Johann Nauwach whose compositions result from Magli's work with the Elector of Brandenburg. The sound world of the 17th century is evoked and recreated with harpist Chiara Granata and theorbo player David Miller.