The ninth son of a modest family from Arezzo, Antonio Cesti (1623–1669) is a multifaceted figure of Italian Baroque music. He was cantor in various churches in his home town before leaving to take up organist posts first at Santa Croce, Florence, and then at the Duomo of Volterra.
Decisive in Cesti’s career was the protection of the Medici family, and Cesti’s first assignment outside Italy came at the Innsbruck court of Archduke Ferdinand Charles of Tyrol, who was Anna de’ Medici’s husband. He was held in high esteem at the Tyrolean court, but in 1659 he left for Rome, entering the pontifical chapel in service of the nephew of Pope Alexander VII, Cardinal Flavio Chigi. The ensuing year in Rome saw his greatest production of cantatas. He would divide his time thereafter between Vienna and his home base in Florence near his Medici patrons.
This recording opens and closes with three-voice serenades for two sopranos and a bass.
Between them come solo arias, including “Intorno all’idol mio”, perhaps Cesti’s most famous work because of its inclusion in Parisotti’s collection of Arie antiche, used as a method by many an aspiring singer.
The version presented here is the rare reduction for soprano and continuo without the two violins (from a source housed in the Sala del Dottorato library of the University of Perugia). The cantata for two voices (soprano and bass) Per voler quel ch’io non voglio is attributed to Cesti in a source housed in Venice’s Marcello Conservatory, but a source at the Naples Conservatory attributes it, perhaps more credibly, to Stradella.
Instrumental works by contemporary composers complete the CD: an instrumental aria by Giuseppe Colombi and a pleasant sonata attributed to Giovanni Lorenzo Lulier. Colombi’s ironic La Tromba a basso solo parodies the extreme duet of a low stringed instrument (bass) and a high wind instrument (trumpet). Lulier, nicknamed Giovannino del Violone, is generally considered the author of the charming Violone Sonata in F presented here.
Other information:
- Recorded March 2024 in Rome, Italy
- Booklet in English contains liner notes by Maria Adele Ambrosio and profiles of the ensemble and vocal soloists
- The Italian liner notes & sung texts are available at www.brilliantclassics.com
- Cesti’s ‘L’amante gigante’ and ‘Venti, turbini, procelle’ appear in their first modern recordings
- Antonio Cesti (1623–1669) was an Italian composer and singer of the Baroque era, known for his secular vocal music, particularly opera and cantatas. Born in Arezzo, he initially trained as a Franciscan friar but later pursued a career in music, gaining fame across Italy and Austria.
- He was a key figure in the development of Venetian opera, helping to shape its grandeur and emotional depth. His most famous opera, Il Pomo d’Oro (1667), was a lavish spectacle composed for the wedding celebrations of Emperor Leopold I.
- Cesti’s vocal writing emphasized clarity and ornamentation, making his music particularly appealing to audiences of the time. His secular cantatas exhibit the same lyrical qualities, often featuring expressive recitatives and ariosos that enhance the text’s dramatic impact.
- This new recording features Cantatas, Arias and Serenatas by Cesti, as well as vocal music by Giuseppe Colombi and Giovanni Lulier.
- Performed by Romabarocca Ensemble, featuring 3 vocal soloists, bass violin and harpsichord.
