«Dolcissimo Sospiro»

Italian late Renaissance composer Giulio Caccini (1551-1618) was not only one of the most famous composers of his time but also an exceptionally gifted singer. However, as for the interpretation of his songs, he was at odds with his colleagues: During the Renaissance, there was a long tradition of allowing singers and instrumentalists to enrich every type of music with free inventions added at their pleasure. At the same time, such freedom of ornamentation was one of the main reasons for confusion and disagreements at musical performances. Caccini’s strong disapproval of this fashion is expressed in his preface to his “Nuove musiche”, an anthology of his works published in 1602. Here the composer seemed genuinely interested in the performance of his works and meticulously notated the ornaments, laying down their quantity and nature very precisely as a means of supporting the expression of the text. In comparison to the familiar manuscript versions with added ornaments, the monodies published by Caccini are embellished only sparingly and with great discretion, searching for a poetic and musical expression that should come as close as possible to the style of singing with lyre accompaniment as it was practiced and described by the Ancients. "Dolcissimo sospiro" presents a fine selection of strophic arias and madrigals from Caccini’s “Nuove Musiche”.

 

Singer of those “sweetest sigh”, Roberta Invernizzi, is one of the most sought-after sopranos in the field of Early Music. She has sung in many of the most important theatres in Europe and the United States, as well as at famous festivals, working with conductors like Ton Koopman, Gustav Leonhardt, Andrew Parrot, Jordi Savall and Fabio Biondi. She regularly collaborates with ensembles like Il Giardino Armonico, Europa Galante and I Sonatori della Gioiosa Marca. Her opera performances include principal roles in a broad variety of baroque operas. She has made over 60 recordings, many of which have been recognized by the musical press with awards like Choc de l’année, Diapason D’Or and Choc Musique.

 

The Accademia Strumentale Italiana, an ensemble specialised on Early Music, has performed extensively in Italy, Spain, Belgium, Switzerland, Austria and Germany and has been invited to several international festivals. It’s members have worked with some of the most important ensembles in Europe such as the Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra, Hesperion XX, Il Giardino Armonico, La Reverie and I Sonatori de la Gioiosa Marca. Since 1991 Alberto Rasi has been the group’s musical director. The ensemble is currently composed of consort of violas and lutes, who are joined by guest artists in larger projects.

 

MIDEM AWARD for the BEST RECORDING EARLY MUSIC 2007