BOCCHERINI: Fandango, Simfonie & Musica Notturna di Madrid - LE CONCERT DES NATIONS, SAVALL (SACD)

Although he composed carols, cantatas, oratorios, a mass, motets, the so-called academic (concert) arias for soprano and orchestra to texts by Metastasio and a zarzuela to a libretto by Ramón de la Cruz, most of Boccherini’s output was instrumental music. That was quite unusual in the 18th century, especially in his native Italy, the cradle of opera and a hotbed of both sacred and secular vocal music. Within his large volume of works, Boccherini’s chamber music is pre-eminent, among other things because the composer’s first Spanish period was spent in the service of the King Charles III’s brother, the Infante Don Luis, who, as a great music lover, employed a string quartet made up of members of the Font family. The addition of Boccherini to the quartet explains the unusually high number and quality of string quintets with two cellos among his works.

Quintetto nº 4 in re maggiore “Fandango”per corda et chitarra (G.448) 1798PastoraleAllegro maestosoGrave assaiFandangoSinfonia in re minore,a più strumenti obbligati Op. 37, nº 3 (G.517) Grande 1787Allegro moderatoMinuetto con moto – TrioAndante AmorosoFinale: Allegro vivo, ma non tanto prestoSinfonia Op. 35, nº 3 in la maggiore (G.511) 1782Allegro giustoAndanteAllegro ma non prestoQuintettino in do maggioreLa Musica notturna delle strade di Madrid Op. 30 nº 6 (G.324) 1780Le campane di l’Ave MariaIl tamburo dei SoldatiMinuetto dei CiechiIl Rosario Largo assai – Allegro – Largo come primaPassa calle Allegro vivoIl tamburoRitirata MaestosoRolf Lislevand, guitarraJosé de Udaeta, castanyolesLE CONCERT DES NATIONSBruno Cocset, violoncelManfredo Kraemer, violí concertinoPablo Valetti, violí IIDirecció: Jordi Savall