Officina Romana: A Wonder Lab At The Dawn Of The 18Th Century

Following the success of his solo recordings, Paolo Zanzu returns at the head of his ensemble Le Stagioni with 'Officina Romana', featuring the countertenor Carlo Vistoli. In the early eighteenth century, Rome was one of the great music capitals of Europe. In the space of a few years, Corelli, Handel, Alessandro and Domenico Scarlatti, Caldara, Cesarini and many others crossed paths there, surrounded by painters, sculptors, poets and philosophers who were among the great names of the age. The fruit of long reflection and research, 'Officina Romana' crystallizes this unique moment in the history of music by recreating an idealized musical evening, a conversazione, a sort of liberal meeting of lofty minds in the palace of a Roman cardinal, with a program mingling vocal and instrumental music in both orchestral and chamber formation. This program highlights the creative genius, the estro of the time, it's musical and technical inventiveness, combining famous pieces with previously unrecorded ones. The Cristofori fortepiano also makes an appearance here: Cardinal Ottoboni owned one.