L’Esprit Baroque

Jan Alensoon (1683 – 1769) traveled via Belgium, France and Italy through Switzerland and Germany and back again, where he had the most musical contacts in Itayly. Throughout Europe he easily moved among artists, also the ones from high society.
Jan Alensoon was famous for his unusual voice. He had a range of three octaves so he had control of a bass and a high falsetto. In Venice he sung duets with the famous singer Faustina Bordoni, Johann Adolf Hasse’s wife.
A year after Jan Alensoon’s return, composer Unico van Wassenaer from Leiden wrote his Concerti Armonici.
In the two episodes of Jan Alensoon’s big journey you will hear music that he might have heard.
1. Geminiano Giacomelli (1692-1740)
– From Merope: sposa, non mi conosci
Cecilia Bartoli, mezzo-soprano. Il Giardino Armonico conducted by Giovanni Antonini
(Decca 478 2249)
2. Nicola Porpora (1686-1768)
– From Poro: Raggio amico di speranza
Roberta Invernizzi, sopraan. I Turchini conducted by Antonio Florio
(Glossa GCD 92266)
Anonymous (17th century)
3. La Carpinese (tarantella)
4. Tarantella del Gargano sul moduli tradizionali per voce e stromenti
L’Arpeggiata conducted by Christina Pluhar. Marco Beasley, tenor
(Alpha 818)
5. Marc Roger Normand Couperin (1663-1734)
– From Livre de la Tablature de Clavecin: Folies D’Espagne
Davitt Moroney, harpsichord
(Hyperion CDA 67164)
6. Michel L’Affilard (ca. 1656-1708)
– From Principes: Quel Martire (Air grave and Rondeau
Monika Mauch, soprano. Andrea Baur, guitar
(Christophorus CHR 77338)
7. Graaf Unico Wilhelm van Wassenaer (1692-1766)
– From Sei Concerti Armonici: Concerto no. 3 in A major
Grave Sostenuto – Da Capella – Largo Andante – Vivace
The Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra conducted by Ton Koopman
(Erato ECD 75395)