THE MEDICI CASTRATO A homage to Gualberto Magli
GCD 923501
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Raffaele Pe, countertenor
Chiara Granata, triple harp David Miller, theorbo
Production details
Total playing time: 57:02 Recorded in Dengie, Essex (St James’s Church), England on 20 June and 2-4 July 2013Engineered and produced by Adam Binks
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Commercial release sheet (PDF)
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THE MEDICI CASTRATOA homage to Gualberto Magli
Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643) Operina L’Orfeo 1 Musica (Prologue) 2 Primo intermezzo 3 Speranza (from Act III) 4 Possente spirto5 Proserpina (from Act IV)
Johann Nauwach (1595-1630) & Giulio Caccini (1550-1618)6 Amarilli mia bella
Francesca Caccini (1587-c.1645)7 Dispiegate guance amate
Giulio Caccini8 Sfogava con le stelle
Sigismondo d’India (c.1582-1629)9 Ancidetemi pur (Lamento di Giasone)
Francesco Lambardi (1587-1642)10 O felice quel giorno
Giovanni Maria Trabaci (c.1575-1647)11 Toccata seconda per l’arpa
Girolamo Montesardo (1580-1620)12 Hor che la nott’ombrosa
Alessandro Ciccolini (b.1970)13 Solo e pensoso
Anonymous 17th century14 Se fama al mondo
Johann Nauwach 15 Tempesta di dolcezza16 Jetzund kömpt die nacht herbey
Sigismondo d’India 17 Piangono al pianger mio
About this CD
The exciting countertenor voice of Italian Raffaele Pe which has, in the last few years, been captivating audiences at concert and opera performances given by the likes of John Eliot Gardiner, Claudio Cavina, Christophe Coin and Paul McCreesh is now provided with a CD release from Glossa with Pe’s solo recital, The Medici Castrato. Pe takes his lead from music written for Gualberto Magli, a castrato at the court of the Medicis in Florence in the first quarter of the 17th century who, through the encouragement of his teacher Giulio Caccini, became a master of the new vocal form of monody. Magli’s prowess led him to be sought after for the Mantuan première of Monteverdi’s L’Orfeo – sizeable portions of which are sung here by Pe.
Alongside a modern homage to castrati such as Gualberto Magli written by Alessandro Ciccolini and seicento composers such as Francesca and Giulio Caccini and Sigismondo d’India appear monodies by more shadowy names such as Girolamo Montesardo and Johann Nauwach (compositions by the latter resulting from Magli working for the Elector of Brandenburg). The 17th century instrumental soundworld is conjured up on this recording (previously only available as a download) by harpist Chiara Granata and theorbo player David Miller.
The release on CD by Glossa of The Medici Castrato introduces a new vocal talent – countertenor Raffaele Pe – onto the label and, with this programme, a new reflection of the creative currents coursing through the Italian states (and beyond) at the beginning of the seventeenth century. Originally hailing from Lodi in Lombardy, Italy, Pe studied in London and it is from there that his rapidly expanding career is developing, the alluring timbre of his voice and his innate musicality bringing him to the attention of concert – and opera – audiences across Europe and beyond. That talent is much in demand with many of today’s leading directors of early music. For The Medici Castrato Pe has chosen to focus on the life and career of a castrato, Gualberto Magli, whose own fabulous talents coincided with the rise of opera in Italy, the maturity of astonishing composers such as Claudio Monteverdi and Giulio Caccini, and the lavish patronage provided to the world of culture by the House of Medici. Magli was, for example, called upon to perform at the opening performances of the favola in musica composed by Monteverdi in 1607, L’Orfeo. [read more...]