Elena Maria Gaia Castini - Fantasies, Nocturnes and Tarantellas: Italian 19th-Century Music for Flute and Harp (2025)
FLAC (tracks), Lossless | 1:03:31 | 264 Mb
Genre: Classical
During the first half of the 19th century, when a new successful Opera was released, publishers promptly promoted transcriptions and paraphrases to spread catchy themes to the public. Thus, famous Opera Arias were adapted into salon pieces for various solo instruments or small chamber ensembles, often featuring the Harp and Flute. At the same time, an original repertoire was also developed for these two instruments: compositions not directly related to theatrical works but nevertheless influenced by the contemporary operatic style. This type of chamber music responded to the bourgeois taste of the time, which saw the flourishing of domestic ensembles and amateur virtuosos eager to perform elegant and brilliant music – such as Mozart’s famous Concerto for Harp and Flute K299, commissioned years earlier by the Duke of Guines, Adrien-Louis de Bounières (1735-1806), flutist, and his daughter, harpist and pupil of the composer. The Harp and Flute duo, as evidenced by the pieces presented on this disc, was particularly appreciated for its timbric contrast and for its ability to evoke atmospheres that were both pastoral and brilliant.