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Following acclaimed discs exploring some of the more fascinating byways of the Italian eighteenth century, Auser Musici and its founder-director Carlo Ipata turn to the man Beethoven regarded as the finest of his contemporaries, Luigi Cherubini. It’s not difficult to understand why Beethoven was so impressed: this is music full of character and seriousness of intent, from the strong-jawed Sinfonia for the opera Armida abbandonata, written when Cherubini was just twenty-two, to the dark drama of the Overture to Démophon (which unaccountably failed to wow the sniffy Parisian audiences). And there are vocal delights too, showcasing a virtuosity that looks forward to Rossini and sung here with effortless agility by Maria Grazia Schiavo.
Cherubini: Il Giulio Sabino - Sinfonia 1. Adagio; Allegro
Cherubini: Il Giulio Sabino - Sinfonia 2. Adagio
Cherubini: Il Giulio Sabino - Sinfonia 3. Allegro Vivace
Cherubini: Ifigenia In Aulide - Turbata Ai Dubbi Accenti
Cherubini: D'Un Dolce Ardor La Face
Cherubini: Démophon - Ouverture
Cherubini: Ti Lascio Adorato Mio Ben
Cherubini: Armida Abbandonata - Sinfonia
Cherubini: Armida Abbandonata - Qual Da Venti Combattuta
Cherubini: Il Giulio Sabino - I Mesti Affetti Miei
Cherubini: Mesenzio, Re D'Etruria - Sinfonia
9th February 2012
***
“What really surprises here, however, is that the lofty master of the severely sculpted phrase kicked off his career by writing coloratura showstoppers of fashionable difficulty for the divas of his day...Schiavo's coloratura generates the thrill of an athlete leaping hurdles. But when she essays anything like a sustained line, you're aware of shallowness in the tone.”
April 2012
“Schiavo displays a nimble coloratura technique, phrases elegantly and makes much of her words...The Tuscan period band Auser Musici are robust rather than specially subtle partners, with, as recorded, a distinctly abrasive string tone. But there is no doubting the energy and commitment of their playing.”
March 2012
“These are the first performances I have heard by Auser Musici, technically and musically a notably accomplished original-instrument ensemble. Its founder, Carlo Ipata, gives Cherubini's music his considerable all”
Cherubini: Il Giulio Sabino - Sinfonia 1. Adagio; Allegro
