Andrea Falconieri (1585-1656)
Filippo Coppola (1628-1680)
Italian Seicento “in Spanish style”
Andrea Falconieri and Filippo Coppola, who followed him in the role of master of the Royal Music Chapel of Naples in 1656, are the protagonists of this picturesque anthology of dances, chaconnes, follie and passacaglia, in which the authors, honoring the Iberian musical art (from which many forms of dance are coming), staging compositions from purely theatrical taste, with main characters and situations drawn from the Greek mythology (the Rape of Proserpine) and demons and spirits of the underworld. The use of text in an unlikely and maccheronica Spanish language, helps to create a medley of colors and chiaroscuro typical of the early Baroque: period in which colors and shades create that tone that is as important as the music. The Cappella Musicale di San Giacomo Maggiore in Bologna and the choir of the Accademia dello Spirito Santo in Ferrara here are delivering very fresh interpretations with a great attention to the performance practice of the time.