12 Concerti Grossi Op. 8 [CD]

?Giuseppe Torelli, born in Verona in 1658, is deservedly included among the composers who contributed to the renown and success of the Bolognese School, which was undoubtedly one of the keystones of Italian Baroque music, together with the Venetian, Roman and Neapolitan Schools. Torelli's production that has been handed down to us includes almost 200 works, most of them chamber-music instrumental compositions and orchestral pieces with solo performers. Eight of these works are in print, practically all of them published in Bologna from 1686 onwards. The 12 concerti grossi con una Pastorale per il Santissimo Natale, posthumous op. 8 dated 1709, published by Felice Torelli, brother of the composer and celebrated painter, are undoubtedly his most inspired work, and not only for their extremely high musical quality. The collection is divided into two parts: six pieces are actual Concerti Grossi, while the other six are Concerti for violin and orchestra. The solo violinists Jérémie Chigioni and Roberto Noferini (already interpreter of the world's first recording of Paganini's Capricci on historical violin, v. Tactus TC781690) are at the head of the Ensemble Locatelli from Bergamo, concerted and directed by Chiara Cattani.