CATALDO AMODEI (1650-1695)

 

Su l'ore che l'aurora; Tra l'erbette il piè sciogliea; Va', ché l'hai fatto a me; Già col manto dell'ombre; Colà dove il Sebeto; Lieve al piè, grave al passo (Cantata sacra per la Beatissima Vergine)

 

Giovanni Zamboni: Sonata in C minor; Bernardo Storace: Passagagli sopra Alamire

 

Emma Kirkby (soprano)

Jakob Lindberg (theorbo/archlute)

Lars Ulrik Mortensen, (harpsichord)

 

Three of the world’s finest musicians in their field join forces to perform some fascinating works by the remarkable composer, Cataldo Amodei. Emma Kirkby, Jakob Lindberg and Lars Ulrik Mortensen beautifully perform a selection of vocal works by this under-represented Baroque master which have been revived and carefully reconstructed especially for this disc.

 

Sicilian-born composer Amodei is known to specialists of this period as a composer of sacred and devotional music. He spent much of his working life in Naples and was Alessandro Scarlatti’s precedor in his post as choirmaster at Santa Maria of Lofeto. The works on this disc are a variety of Amodei’s cantatas. These works are mini-dramas full of sudden changes in mood and character, depicting an Arcadian world of nymphs and shepherds as well as – typically of the era – unrequited love. Cataldo excels at tone-painting and Emma Kirkby’s interpretation highlights this perfectly. The disc also contains instrumental extras by fellow Italian composers Bernado Storace and Giovanni Zamboni.

 

This project has been made possible by Professor Giuseppe Collisani, who prepared this edition of Amodei’s music and also wrote the detailed liner notes.

 

Bis BISCD1415