Caldara / Ensemble Arava - Habsburg Garden of Eden - Import CD

Credits:

Caldara / Ensemble Arava

Description:

In the late 17th and early 18th centuries, Vienna, Salzburg, and Rome, the centers of power of the Holy Roman Empire, attracted talented composers. Caldara, a native of Venice, aspired to become a court Kapellmeister in Vienna, where he composed the music for the wedding of Emperor Karl VI in 1708. In Rome, the young Handel was a great success and eventually won the favor of the emperor. This disc focuses on recordings of secular cantatas by these two composers. The works are distinguished by their elaborate instrumental accompaniment and the brilliance of their voices, which are sung with flamboyance and skill. The cantata's ostensible theme is the classic pastoral "thwarted unrequited love," but in fact it seems to express the "power of the empire. The other composers on the program, Bomporti, Ziani, Biber, and Muffato, all achieved fame as performers and composers on the Italian stage. Ensemble Arava, four young musicians based in Germany, was formed to explore the rich Baroque heritage of music for soprano, violin, and basso continuo. This is their debut album.