LES GALANTERIES: Mandolin Music from 18th-Century Paris [CD de audio] Artemandoline and Varios

The Gallant Joys seems an apt description for this edition, which presents a charming selection of works written for the mandolin in 18th-century Paris. In fact, it was at this time that a number of stringed instruments came into vogue, and the mandolin in particular found great success among the nobility and middle classes, participating in an atmosphere of intellect and refinement that fostered a new artistic direction in the music of the time, revolutionizing the tastes and sensibilities of viewers along the way. Zaneboni, Altieri, Cifolelli, de Gistau, de Ferreira: many of the composers included were originally from different parts of Europa , eventually settling in Paris where music for the mandolin reached its zenith. The vast majority, if not all, will be unknown to listeners, but this should not discourage them from accessing a gem-filled compendium built around a series of sonatas, as well as arias works that highlight the instrument's entertaining role in halls of the time. The lauded Artemandoline period performance group is the standout ensemble, all of its members having done painstaking research to restore the standards of mandolin performance once enjoyed among society's elites, and which have set new standards in music. interpretation and perception of works from the 17th and 18th centuries. Together with soprano Nathalie Pearson, this edition marks his second recording for Brilliant Classics , the first dedicated to the complete mandolin sonatas of Domenico Scarlatti (BC 94477).