Alessandro Scarlatti: Serenate

Alessandro Scarlatti (1660 – 1725) was the prolific composer of more than 800 cantatas. However, the majority of these compositions are unpublished and are preserved in manuscript copy only. In this context, Maestro Estévan Velardi and Alessandro Stradella Consort will give life and exposure to two of Alessandro Scarlatti’s repertoire gems: the Serenatas “Al fragor di lieta tromba” and “Bel piacere ch’è la caccia.” This is the first recording of these works on authentic period instruments. The liner notes have been written and edited by musicologists and Alessandro Scarlatti’s music scholars including the late Maestro Roberto Pagano, to whose memory the release is dedicated. The Alessandro Stradella Consort was established in July 1987 by Estevan Velardi, bringing together some of the top singers and instrumentalists who specialize in the performance of Italian Baroque music on original instruments. The group's complex repertoire ranges from the late Renaissance to the Baroque period and the number of members at any performance varies depending on need, ranging from a minimum of four players to a maximum of thirty.