The Venetian late Baroque composer Baldassare Galuppi couldn’t complain about a lack of popularity among his contemporaries. Although his stage works brought him fame, his vocal-instrumental religious compositions are no less delightful. Among them, the motet Confitebor Tibi, Domine reveals the artist’s extraordinary melodic talent and remarkable efficiency in the field of compositional technique. Francesco Durante, who gained recognition as the creator of instrumental works and a renowned teacher, also stands out in this respect. During the artist’s lifetime, his extravagant works, such as Concerto No. 2, inspired awe in some, and surprise in others. After all, it was not without reason that Rousseau considered Francesco Durante to be one of the greatest Italian masters of harmony of that time, while Quantz criticized him for his “bizarre taste”.
The finale of the concert will feature Alessandro Scarlatti’s Stabat Mater. The touching text and chorale melody of the medieval sequence inspired many composers. Although in the sixteenth century it was removed from the liturgy by the Council of Trent, its popularity did not decrease at all. This is evidenced by many beautiful arrangements, especially numerous in the Italian baroque repertoire, which includes the work by Scarlatti. A small ensemble – soprano, alto, strings, and basso continuo – was enough for the Neapolitan to paint an extremely expressive musical picture of a mother watching her beloved son die on the cross. The richness of rhetorical devices helps to reflect the mood of the subsequent stanzas – expressing pain and communion in suffering, but also fervent faith and a hope for salvation.
PROGRAM
Baldassare Galuppi – Confitebor tibi, Domine
Francesco Durante – Concerto No. 2
Affettuoso | Presto | Largo affettuoso | Allegro affettuoso
Alessandro Scarlatti – Stabat Mater
PERFORMES
JUSTYNA STĘPIEŃ SOPRANO
ANNA RADZIEJEWSKA – MEZZOSOPRANO
THE PERIOD INSTRUMENTS ENSEMBLE OF THE POLISH ROYAL OPERA CAPELLA REGIA POLONA
MICHAŁ PIOTROWSKI CONCERTMASTER, DIRECTION
