Little is known of Marco Dall’Aquila. His name appears sporadically in the letters of contemporaries, all of whom praise his talents as a lutenist and theoretician. It is thought that he was born in 1480 and died in 1544, and therefore his period of composition spanned two vastly different periods in the life of lute music: towards the end of the Middle Ages – at the end of the 1400s – the use of plectrum was the respected practice, whereas during the 1540s, the period of the instrument’s greatest vogue, a complex polyphony and simultaneous use of multiple strings was the favoured approach. Dall’Aquila’s music acts as a bridge between these two styles.
Sandro Volta is a specialist of Italian Renaissance-Baroque lute music, whose interpretations have been widely praised in publications such as Diapason d’Or and The New York Times. He has written many critical and informative articles, including several for Grove, and has also been artistic director for a variety of Italian theatres such as the Teatro Ruggeri of Guastalla and the Teatro Moruzzi of Noceto.
Other information:
- First recordings, recorded in 2013.
- Marco Dall’Aquila lived from 1480 to 1544, a period in which the lute made a substantial development: from the monodic use of the plectrum as used in the Middle Ages to a more complex and polyphonic use on an increased number of strings in the Renaissance.
- The repertoire on this disc contains Ricercars, Fantasias and a number of dance forms, conjuring up the atmosphere of the courts and palaces in which this stately and noble music must have resounded.
- Lutenist Sandro Volta is an expert in his field, a writer and musicologist with numerous publications to his name. He plays a six-course lute by Ivo Magherini.
