Giuseppe e Giovanni Sammartini

Easy CD-DA | FLAC tracks | Covers | 1.11 Gb

3 CD | Date CD: 21/01/2008 | Brilliant

Giuseppe Baldassare Sammartini (1695-1750)

Giovanni Battista Sammartini (1700-1775)

Music for Flute, Violin, Oboe, Recorders

CD 1 - Giuseppe - Six solos for Flute, Violin or Oboe, Opus 13

Depositfiles - - FileVelocity - - FileFactory

CD 2 - Giuseppe - 12 Sonatas For Two German Flutes

Depositfiles - - FileVelocity - - FileFactory

CD 3 - Giovanni - Notturni a 4

Depositfiles - - FileVelocity - - FileFactory

Ensemble J.M. Anciuti

I Fiori Musicali

Il Rossignolo, Ottavio Tenerani

Marica Testi, flute

CD 1 - The Six Solos op. 13 are an example of Sammartini’s posthumous fame in that they were printed ten years after his death. “Solo” is the name given to sonatas for a solo instrument or an instrument accompanied by basso continuo. This term soon fell into disuse, as did the interchangeability of instruments foreseen in the early eighteenth century. The possibility to choose the instrument nonetheless still existed in the musical anthologies of many authors who, like Sammartini, legitimize the practice already in the titles, which they gave to their collections. The instruments employed in the Six Solos share more or less the same range: the oboe (the favored instrument of the composer), the German (or transverse) flute, and the dominating violin. The oboe, flute and violin each perform two compositions. The solo instruments are sustained in the basso continuo not only by the harpsichord but also by the bassoon in one case and by the cello in the other.

CD 2 - Perhaps the stylistic characteristic which best marks Sammartini as a composer goes beyond his warm and limpid melodic sensibilities. Indeed, his harmonic and contrapuntal sense reflects the exquisite taste with which he adapted his writing to the qualities and the possibilities of the instrument for which he composed. The Concerto in F Major for soprano recorder and strings is one of the best works ever dedicated to that instrument. Like Geminiani, Bersanti and others, Sammartini distances himself a bit from the compositional model of the early baroque period. Instead he experiments with certain felicitous innovations leaning toward the style galant, yet all the while upholding the Italian tradition. Despite the term “German flutes” which appears in the title, the destination for the recorder is confirmed by the tessitura and tonalities chosen (typical of the sonatas), as well as the typically English predilection for the instrument.

CD 3 - Sammartini’s musical production, in large measure consisting of instrumental and symphonic works, may be considered a natural consequence of the composer’s full integration into the life of his city. Milan, which unlike Venice or Bologna did not possess a school of opera composers, was, on the other hand, a brilliant and lively musical center. A tradition of instrumental music supported by excellent schools of instrument makers, civic and private musical events, orchestral ensembles which had long been active in the city and, finally, a wealth of "amateur" musicians of a respectable level, all worked together to create a fertile and nurturing terrain for Sammartini’s own work. The "notturno" was one of the ideal genres for representing the characteristics of this culture. This instrumental form, similar to the serenata and the divertimento, of a light and brilliant character, was logically destined for "nocturnal" festivities and entertainments. It was perfectly suited to the needs of the accademie which the Grand Duke Pallavicini and others after him held "toward evening in order to enjoy the fresh air" on the esplanade of the Castello Sforzesco.