Two recent releases, taking us back to 18th-century England.
The first CD features motets from Italian composers from a collection at Westminster Abbey’s library – the archives of the Academy of Ancient Music. The academy, starting out as the Academy of Vocal Music, was founded in 1726. Its members were composers, professional musicians and music lovers from the upper classes, and they wanted to bring ‘early music’ alive again. Early music meant in this case music (mostly vocal) from the 16th and 17th century. We start with two pieces from Giovanni Legrenzi, who had been maestro di capella at the San Marco in Venice.
After a while they started performing more and more music from contemporary composers, for example the featured motet from Agostino Steffani. He was named as the first president of the Academy, even though he wasn’t in Engeland and actually never would be.
Giovanni Legrenzi (1626-1690)
1. Salve Regina
2. Intret in conspectu tuo
Agostino Steffani (1654-1728)
3. Qui diligit Mariam
Contrapunctus conducted by Owen Rees
(CD: “Harmonies of Devotion” – Signum Classics SIGCD914, 2024)
The second release is the complete sonatas for transverse flute and basso continuo from John Stanley. He is mostly known for his voluntaries for organ. He was organist in several churches and an excellent violinist, despite the fact that he had become blind as a child. Georg Frideric Handel was one of his admirers and vice versa, as Stanley devoted himself to Handel’s oratorios and conducted his Messiah multiple times.
John Stanley (1712-1786)
4. Sonata in D minor/major, op. 1,7
5. Sonata in E minor, op. 1,8
6. Sonata in D major, op. 4,5
Daorsa Dervishi, transverse flute. Alessia Travaglini, viola da gamba. Nicola Bisotti, harpsichord
(CD: “Complete Flute Sonatas” – Brilliant Classics 96397, 2023)
In addition:
John Stanley
7. From Sonata in D major, op. 1,6: minuet with variations
Daorsa Dervishi, transverse flute. Alessia Travaglini, viola da gamba. Nicola Bisotti, harpsichord
(CD: see 4-6)
Image: John Stanley (Wikipedia)
