Motets
Confitebor
Arripe alpestri in vallem
Gérard Lesne, Veronique Gens, Peter Harvey
Il Seminario musicale
Gérard Lesne
Virgin Classics CDC 5 45030 2
(flacs & scans)
Download
Baldassare Galuppi (1706-85) spent most of his life in his native Venice, serving at two girls' homes and as director of music at St. Mark's. Visits to London and St. Petersburg each lasted three years. Today he is known almost exclusively for his instrumental music (you must remember Robert Browning's poem, “A Toccata of Galuppi's,“ inspired by a piece from another composer), for he was a brilliant harpsichordist and organist. By way of exception, we did hear a Magnificat {Fanfare 10:2), and a soprano cantata is available in Germany. None of his vocal music (including almost a hundred operas) was ever published, and these two works survive in manuscript in Dijon and Venice, respectively. The psalm is the major work, set for three soloists, strings, flutes, and continuo. The other piece, set in Italian to an unidentified text, employs only Lesne with the strings.
Offhand, I can't think of many composers of comparable fame whose music is so unfamiliar, but then not everyone had a Browning to account for his place in schoolbooks. These two works call for high proficiency, and Lesne's ensemble is up to snuff. Galuppi was an original, deserving of his own niche in the revival movement. The performances were prepared for the festival of Périgord Noir two years ago, where this ensemble performs annually. Useful notes are printed with texts and three translations. If you've wondered what was going on in Venice after Vivaldi, this sample is worth investigating. Recommended to Baroque collectors. -Fanfare