Harpa Romana. Arias & Cantatas by the 17th-Century Virtuosos Riccardo Pisani & La smisuranza

• Anonymous: Canzona:
• 1Anonymous: Canzona01:29
• Orazio Michi (1594 - 1641): Or, che la notte del silentio amica:
• 2Michi: Or, che la notte del silentio amica03:02
• Più non armi la mia lira:
• 3Michi: Più non armi la mia lira03:26
• Girolamo Frescobaldi (1583 - 1643): Toccata per spinettina sola overo liuto:
• 4Frescobaldi: Toccata per spinettina sola overo liuto02:18
• Orazio Michi: Perdan quest’occhi il sole:
• 5Michi: Perdan quest’occhi il sole06:06
• Andrea Falconieri (1585 - 1656): Arpa:
• 6Falconieri: Arpa00:41
• Orazio Michi: Infelice mia vita:
• 7Michi: Infelice mia vita03:54
• Anonymous: Toccata per Florete Flores:
• 8Anonymous: Toccata per Florete Flores01:03
• Mario Savioni (1608 - 1685): Se l’amar non è peccato:
• 9Savioni: Se l’amar non è peccato04:41
• Stefano Landi (1587 - 1639): La Ragana:
• 10Landi: La Ragana01:55
• Giovan Carlo Rossi (1617 - 1692): Vanne mio core alle stelle:
• 11Rossi: Vanne mio core alle stelle03:21
• È così dolce la pena:
• 12Rossi: È così dolce la pena02:26
• Anonymous: Una cetra s’accoglie:
• 13Anonymous: Una cetra s’accoglie01:47
• Giovan Carlo Rossi: Vuoi ch’io mora:
• 14Rossi: Vuoi ch’io mora01:33
• Luigi Rossi (1597 - 1653): Lasciatemi qui solo:
• 15Rossi: Lasciatemi qui solo07:05
• Marco Marazzoli (1602 - 1662): E pur volsi innamorarmi:
• 16Marazzoli: E pur volsi innamorarmi05:13
• Lelio Colista (1629 - 1680): Paradigma I:
• 17Colista: Paradigma I01:16
• Marco Marazzoli: Misero, et è pur vero:
• 18Marazzoli: Misero, et è pur vero04:28
• O che sempre mi scordi:
• 19Marazzoli: O che sempre mi scordi05:17
• Rinaldo Trematerra: Canzon:
• 20Trematerra: Canzon02:39
• Vespasiano Roccia (1560 - 1625): Madre del Redentore:
• 21Roccia: Madre del Redentore03:42
• Total Runtime01:07:22

Info for Harpa Romana. Arias & Cantatas by the 17th-Century Virtuosos

“What I have that is most precious I will preserve in my own name”. This is most likely the belief that guided a series of harpists – ranging from Leonardo Mollica, the most renowned virtuoso of the late Renaissance, to Orazio Michi, Marco Marazzoli and Giovan Carlo Rossi (brother of the better-known Luigi) – to change their names to Leonardo, Orazio, Marco, and Carlo “dall’Arpa” respectively. Although none of the above were actually born in Rome, this was the place where their careers played out. Restoring an identity to these musicians is the express aim of this recording project. And the resulting portraits of these virtuosos of the “queen of instruments” are the outcome of lengthy research, study, transcription and arrangement carried out by Riccardo Pisani and Chiara Granata.

The ensemble La Smisuranza, with its unique formation of three double harps, accompanies the tenor Riccardo Pisani in this exhilarating musical journey, characterised by vibrant and ever-changing instrumental textures that alternate moments of intimacy and exuberance in accordance with the poetic text set to music. Pisani, a singer “gifted with a warm, seductive voice” (Diapason) presents the music of his home city after the recent success of La Cetra di Sette Corde , a recording dedicated exclusively to the 17-century tenor Francesco Rasi.

Riccardo Pisani, tenor
La smisuranza

Riccardo Pisani
began his singing career as a puer cantor in the Sistine Chapel Choir. After graduating in Renaissance and Baroque singing at the Conservatorio di Santa Cecilia with Sara Mingardo, he took part in the Académie Baroque d’Ambronay and was chosen by René Jacobs at the professional training workshops of Royaumont for the role of Orfeo in Monteverdi’s opera. He also won the special prize at the International Sacred Music Competition in Rome. He subsequently embarked on an intensive concert career focusing on the Renaissance and Baroque repertoires, under the direction of, among others, Jonathan Webb, Rinaldo Alessandrini, Claudio Cavina and Leonardo García Alarcón. For many years he has collaborated with Francesco Cera on exploring the music of the Italian Seicento.

Booklet for Harpa Romana. Arias & Cantatas by the 17th-Century Virtuosos