La bella Napoli
Pieces from the city’s golden age of chamber music
Porpora – A. Scarlatti – Mascitti – D. Scarlatti – Fiorenza
FiBO Players:
Hanna Haapamäki, recorder
Anthony Marini, violin
Anni Elonen, violin
Jussi Seppänen, cello
Eero Palviainen, lute and guitar
Petteri Pitko, harpsichord
During the Baroque era, Naples was the largest city in Italy and the second largest in Europe after Paris. It was the centre of culture and a home to artists like Caravaggio, Rosa and Bernini, philosophers like Telesio, Bruno and Campanella, and authors like Battista Marino. In the 17th and the 18th century, Naples was also one of Europe’s most important music centers, but unfortunately the majority of the treasures from this golden age have been forgotten. Besides its conservatoires and its sacred music, the city was foremost known for its opera starring celebrities like the composer Alessandro Scarlatti, the librettist Pietro Metastasio and the castrato singer Farinelli. Later on, the magnificent singers and instrumentalists from Naples got spread out all over Europe.
In Naples in the beginning of the 18th century, there was also a strong instrumentalist tradition. The teachers and the alumni from the city’s conservatories composed a large amount of sonatas, trio sonatas and concertos. Most of the music was just left as manuscripts and is therefore fairly unknown today. Music played a central role in the many aristocratic parlors and academies as well. In Naples, both financial and non-financial supporters of music, as well as the higher priests, gathered together with the musicians. Private concerts in the nobilities’ homes were also sometimes open for a public audience. There were no entrance fees, and coffee, confectionery and alcohol were served. Especially popular was – besides shorter cantatas and opera extracts – chamber music. Contemporaries described the ambiance as follows: ”When listening, everyone was so attentive and delirious that you could have heard a pin drop. People were that quiet – –. After every piece of music, they were applauding admirably – –.”
Duration: 1 h (no intermission)