Seicento Stravagante

Music for cornetto and organ

«I have found quite a universal rule (...) to practice in all things a certain sprezzatura [nonchalance], so as to conceal all art and make whatever is done or said appear to be without effort and almost without any thought about it (...) From this I believe that grace derives very much: because of the rare and well done things everyone knows the difficulty, whence in them the ease generates great wonder...»
(Baldassarre Castiglione, Il cortegiano, 1528)

The concept of sprezzatura is central in the early XVIIc. vocal and instrumental literature; the repertoire is in fact rich in extreme virtuosity, which consists not only in the quantity and velocity of notes in the musical passages, but mainly in the naturalness and apparent execution’s ease of the most complicated extemporary divisions.

Virtuosity and sprezzatura are the main threads of Seicento Stravagante’s program, which accompanies the listener along a musical journey in the early seventeenth century, through Toccatas, Sonatas, instrumental Canzonas and diminutions.

The program fully expresses the spirit and characteristics of the duo: Seicento Stravagante has in fact the intent to restore the ancient splendor of the cornetto, enhance the authentic organs and revive the musical spirit of the time, through the improvisational practice of the solo instrument and the continuo with unbridled virtuosity.

The program was recorded for BIS Records using two authentic organs from Renaissance and Baroque: the organ by Cipri (1578), located in the church of San Giovanni Battista in Monte San Giovanni - Bologna and the organ by Anonymous (Venetian school,1660), at the church of San Bartolomeo in Caprile - Belluno.

Seicento Stravagante:
David Brutti - cornetto, cornetto muto
Nicola Lamon - organ

Program