Gini Roberto - Il Violoncello Galante (2021)

The "Concertos in four Parts for the Violoncello Obligato with two Violins and a Bass" Opera XIV by Gianbattista Cirri (Forlì, 1 October 1724 - Forlì, 11 June 1808), a contemporary of Luigi Boccherini, are six chamber concertos for small ensemble published in London in 1780.

The destination for quartet a parti reali can be perceived from the balance of the "tutti", where the concertante cello takes on the role of the viola. If this kind of music, typical of the musical entertainment of that period, seems at first glance light and lacking the restlessness of Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, the maturity of Haydn or the flair of the young Mozart, a closer listen reveals the joyful balance and formal perfection that are pure pleasure to the listener's ears.

The stile galante of the music of Cirri, Dreyer and Benosi is permeated with the Italian taste that easily spread throughout musical Europe. The authentically witty allegros, the elegant cantabile of the slow movements and the subtle humour in the writing of the parts are elements that make these pieces an ideal example of aesthetic perfection. In addition, the cello gives the overall sound and the solo phrases a very special timbre, typical of the school of the time, where the instrument sings like a tenor rising in the high register in falsetto.

This recording dates back to spring 1992 and is published here for the first time. The vicissitudes of the material meant that it was only in 2021 that I recovered and edited it. The presence of the harpsichordist Laura Alvini, who died in January 2005, gives this disc a special value, becoming a tribute to the unforgettable artist and, at the same time, an affectionate personal memory.