Giovanni Legrenzi: Il ballo del Gran Duca

From the new album, Infinite Refrain: lnk.to/Infinit...
Laurence Cummings directs Academy of Ancient Music in a performance of Il ballo del Gran Duca by the Italian baroque composer Giovanni Legrenzi (1626-1690).
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The first of its kind, this duet album is a musical journey that draws back the curtain that has obscured gay love-stories for centuries.
In the 17th century, Venice offered a liberal safe haven of sorts to the gay community of greater Europe. There are accounts of outed artists escaping to Venice to live and work amongst its more permissive culture.
Almost 400 years later, we reconnect with this uncommonly tolerant place and time to share a history that is yet untold.
The album includes vivid and charming duets from Monteverdi’s 7th book of madrigals as well as his touching musical love letters (lettere amorose).
Additionally, there are four modern-day premieres of works by the little-known composers Boretti, Melani, and Castrovillari; including a moving duet for the lovers Hercules and Theseus as they exit the underworld hand-in-hand.
Solo arias by Cavalli and Stradella depict the yearning of hidden love, and the recording culminates with one of the most beautiful duets of all time, ‘Pur ti miro’ from Monteverdi’s L’incoronazione di Poppea.
This album is a recognition and celebration of gay love that spans the centuries.
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#weareAAM

[@BookOfFaustus]

Such sweet tones

[@stevehornshaw4478]

❤Thank you so much for this. Enjoyable and informative. Just wonderful players, superb instruments

[@user-xm8ij2tk9h]

It’s so beautiful ❤

[@neddoucet7779]

Sounds to me like an interpretation of the Ciaccone by Lully in Cadmus and Hermione

[@opusrosae8560]

Magnifique ❤

[@Psychofrog395]

👏👏👏👍❤️❤️très beau 🤩

[@AllenGarvin]

This is from Op. 16? Just curious: what library does this survive in? I don't see it listed in Kirkendale's Aria di Fiorenza volume, nor in Sartori's general bibliografia.

[@Maltizupuppies]

Why all the strange body movements?

[@Rik77]

What do u mean? Musicians dont sit rigid to play, especially when it is dance music.

[@Richard-ts6mg]

Its the body responding to music, 🎻🎵🎸🎶🪗

[@cuentaeliminada3838]

this is a ciaccona, , but what's the author?

[@logos171]

The name in the title
😊