Ensemble 415 (Chiara Banchini) - Concerti Napoletani per Violoncello

Ensemble 415 - Chiara Banchini (dir.)

Robert Putowski, Jeroen den Herder, Esmé de Vries, Ilonka van den Bercken, Lucie Stepanova, Sanne Bijker, Esther Iglesias, Mikolaj Palosz

Gaetano Nasillo: cello

Lossless: Ape (img + cue + log) = 409 mb
Lossy: Mp3 (lame "preset standard") = 98 mb
Artwork @ 300dpi = 28 mb

Total playing time: 70:07
Recorded 2004 | Released 2005

Recording:
May 31 - June 4 2004, Eglise de Frasnes-le-Chateau, France

Zig-Zag Territoires ZZT 050302


Track listing:
Nicola Fiorenza (1700c-1764):
1. Concerto per violoncello solo con violini e basso in Fa maggiore - 1. Presto
2. Concerto per violoncello solo con violini e basso in Fa maggiore - 2. Allegro
3. Concerto per violoncello solo con violini e basso in Fa maggiore - 3. Largo
4. Concerto per violoncello solo con violini e basso in Fa maggiore 4. Allegro

Nicola Porpora (1686-1768):
5. Concerto in Sol maggiore - 1. Adagio
6. Concerto in Sol maggiore - 2. Allegro
7. Concerto in Sol maggiore - 3. Adagio
8. Concerto in Sol maggiore - 4. Allegro

Leonardo Leo (1694-1744)
9. Concerto per violoncello solo con violini in La maggiore - 1.Andantino gracioso
10. Concerto per violoncello solo con violini in La maggiore - 2. Allegro
11. Concerto per violoncello solo con violini in La maggiore - 3. Larghetto
12. Concerto per violoncello solo con violini in La maggiore - 4. Allegro

Nicola Fiorenza (1700c-1764):
13. Concerto per violoncello solo con violini e basso continuo in La minore - 1. Largo
14. Concerto per violoncello solo con violini e basso continuo in La minore - 2. Allegro
15. Concerto per violoncello solo con violini e basso continuo in La minore - 3. Adagio
16. Concerto per violoncello solo con violini e basso continuo in La minore - 4. Allegro

Nicola Sabatino (1705c-1796):
17. Solo di violoncello con due violini e basso in Sol maggiore - 1. Largo assai
18. Solo di violoncello con due violini e basso in Sol maggiore - 2. Fuga
19. Solo di violoncello con due violini e basso in Sol maggiore - 3. Adagio
20. Solo di violoncello con due violini e basso in Sol maggiore - 4. Allegro ma presto


Reviews:
Audaud
Calling themselves "children of the apogee of the compact disc," the founders of the Zig-Zag Territoires label celebrated their tenth anniversary in 2006. During their first decade and since, they have produced more than 100 releases which have illuminated the record catalogues with incomparably high musical and packaging achievements. Whether it's their complete set of the Beethoven symphonies conducted by Jos van Immerseel or this breathtaking disc of gorgeous 18th century cello concertos, Zig-Zag is definitely one of the essential French labels.

As its catalogue has grown, Zig-Zag's approach to sound recording, developed by Franck Jaffrès, has become established as one of the label’s hallmarks. At its best, which is most of the time, it has come to mean a commitment to capturing the texture of the original instruments which perform most of the recordings, not just on a superficial basis but within a profoundly deep musical and acoustical context. So, for example, on this CD, you hear the bite of the bow on the string and the texture of each note not just from the dazzlingly elegant soloist, Gaetano Nasillo, but seemingly from each of the instruments in Chiara Banchini's Ensemble 415.

The cello concertos on this disc, highlighting the the rise of a virtuoso repertoire for cello in Naples in the last part of the 17th century and the first part of the 18th, varies considerably in emotional temperature. There are two fiercely attractive, ferociously minor key concertos by Nicola Fiorenza (d. 1764), and one very laid-back major key one by Nicola Sabatino (c1705-1796), both relatively obscure composers and teachers. By way of contrast there are two extremely gracious and seductive major key concertos by two relatively well-known composers, Nicola Porpora and Leonardo Leo.

In each, Nasillo, Banchini and the Ensemble 415 conspire to capture from the opening bar the nature of the music and an accompanying sense of where its beauties will lie, which make listening a total joy. Only in slower stretches of the Sabatino does their energy and inspiration flag. Overall, this is very heady stuff, as if Yo-Yo Ma had been transfigured back through the centuries, handed a Baroque cello and told to play his heart out according to the stylistic guidelines of the time.

While Zig-Zag's current packaging is not as sumptuous as its first releases were, they still feature provocatively original paintings by Anne Peultier and thoughtful, well-translated (and extended) program notes, in this case by Stefano Aresi. And the sound, of course, as noted above, is sublime.

Click here to preview
Click here to download

Warning: there were some errors ("suspicious positions") while ripping this cd. They are inaudible as far as I can tell...

Suspicious position 1:06:42
Suspicious position 1:06:44 - 1:06:48
Suspicious position 1:06:50
Suspicious position 1:06:54
Suspicious position 1:06:56