STURLA

Passio di Venerdi Santo

Il Concento Ecclesiastico

1 Cantus firmus: Passio Domini Nostri 1‘49

2 Coro: Iesum Nazarenum! 0‘45

3 Cantus firmus: Dicit eis Iesus 1‘01

4 Recitativo: Iesum Nazarenum! 0‘42

5 Cantus firmus: Ut impleretur sermo 2‘37

6 Aria: Numquid et tu 0‘58

7 Cantus firmus / Recitativo: Dicit ille / Non sum 2‘02

8 Aria: Sic respondes pontifici? 0‘42

9 Cantus firmus: Respondit ei Iesus 1‘01

10 Coro: Numquid et tu 1‘12

11 Cantus firmus / Recitativo: Negavit ille / Non sum 0‘27

12 Aria: Nonne ego te vidi 1‘11

13 Cantus firmus: Iterum ergo 0‘42

14 Aria: Quam accusationem affertis 1‘39

15 Coro: Si non esset hic malefactor 0‘50

16 Aria: Accipite eum vos 1‘57

17 Coro: Nobis non licet interficere 0‘54

18 Cantus firmus / Recitativo: Ut sermo Iesu / Tu es rex 1‘15

19 Aria / Recitativo: Numquid ego / Ergo rex 3‘25

20 Aria: Ego nullam invenio 1‘39

21 Cantus firmus / Recitativo: Clamaverunt ergo / Non hunc 0‘58

22 Coro: Ave, rex Iudaeorum 1‘27

23 Aria: Ecce adduco vobis 2‘32

24 Cantus firmus / Recitativo: Exivit ergo Iesus / Ecce homo 1‘02

25 Coro: Crucufige, crucifige eum! 0‘28

26 Recitativo / Aria: Accipite eum vos / Ego enim non invenio 2‘58

27 Cantus firmus / Coro: Responderunt ei / Nos legem habemus 1‘16

28 Cantus firmus / Recitativo: Cum ergo audisset / Unde es tu? 2‘15

29 Coro: Si hunc dimittis 1‘10

30 Cantus firmus / Recitativo: Pilatus autem / Ecce rex vester 0‘54

31 Coro: Tolle, tolle crucifige 0‘30

32 Cantus firmus / Recitativo: Dicit eis / Regem vestrum 0‘36

33 Coro: Non habemus regem 0‘37

34 Cantus firmus: Tunc ergo tradidit 2‘02

35 Duetto: Noli scrivere rex Iudaeorum 4‘04

36 Cantus firmus: Respondit Pilatus 0‘56

37 Coro: Non scindamus eam 1‘20

Il Concento Ecclesiastico

Laura Dalfino, soprano

Marina Frandi, contralto

Emanuela Esposito, cantus firmus

Cantus Luisa Bagnoli, Luisa Cuneo, Alessandra Secci Altus

Iolanda Barbieri, Patrizia Bozzo, Alessandra Gattino, Basso continuo

Marlise Goidanich, cello

Nicola Barbieri, violone

Marianne Gubri, double harp

Eduardo Figueroa, theorbo, Baroque guitar

Davide Merello, organ

Luca Franco, Ferrari

We don’t know much about Carlo Sturla, not even the dates of his birth and death, and he is absent from Google - quite an achievement! The sole reference to him is in the register of the Convent of Santa Brigida belonging to the Sisters of the Sacred Heart. Sturla worked here, but apparently his assiduous attendance upon and training of the young women under his tutelage was viewed with some suspicion.

His Passio di Venerdi di Venerdi di Santo displays a thorough appreciation of contemporary Genovese opera, with recitatives reserved for the dramatic content as was the fashion at the time. The arias therefore do not depict the drama and action, but relay rather vague emotions and feelings. His vocal writing requires agility, and the mocking chorus depicting the crowd reveal a theatrical yearning. The style is simple and the musical writing is linear, but the overall effect is one of delicate lyricism, and graceful but never excessive virtuosity.

This work was probably composed for Holy Week, and any religious establishment that boasted its own choir would often commission local composers to provide music for the services during this busy week. Sturla and his young choir would have been ideal candidates for such a task.

Brilliant Classics 94184