Chamber Cantatas and Sonatas

The works of Giovanni Maria Bononcini are part of the cultural heritage of the Este dynasty, a heritage created to a large extent by the duke Francesco II, following the move of the Estense capital from Ferrara to Modena at the end of the 16th century.
While the first half of the 1600s was indeed dedicated almost exclusively to the transferal of family goods and possessions from one city to the other, as well as to the rebuilding -through various acquisitions- of a patrimony worthy of a capital, the reign of Francesco I gave birth to an important artistic production which would culminate in the second half of the century with the patronage of Franceso II.
The so-called “Modenese school”, which existed alongside and on an equal footing with the more celebrated schools of Mantua and Bologna, recognized Marco Uccellini as the founder and great teacher of an entire generation of musicians.
His direct disciple, who carried on his work and musical discourse -contrapuntal, formal and instrumental- was without a doubt Giovanni Maria Bononcini.
The music proposed here by La Scatola dai Suoni is decisively aimed at presenting Bononcini’s lighter repertoire, above all in terms of his instrumental works.
Moreover, the desire to offer the most complete portrait possible of this musician has led to the inclusion of vocal works as well, with four cantatas for soprano and basso continuo and a madrigal realized on the harpsichord.