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Alessandro Scarlatti 'La Folia' & Two Cantatas


Cantata 'CORREA NEL SENO AMATO'
VARIATIONS ON 'LA FOLIA'
Cantata 'GIA LUSINGATO APPIENO'

LYNNE DAWSON soprano
THE PURCELL QUARTET

CATHERINE MACKINTOSH violin
ELIZABETH WALLFISCH violin
RICHARD BOOTHBY viola da gamba
ROBERT WOOLLEY harpsichord

Hyperion Helios CDH55233

ALESSANDRO SCARLATTI (1660-1725), Domenico's father, was a leading opera compose who shared some patrons with Handel. These are two attractive vocal cantatas. His keyboard music was, of course, eclipsed by Domenico's multitude of sonatas.

This version of the ever-popular La Folia has thirty variations (like Bach's Goldbergs) ending, according to Clifford Bartlett, the knowlegeable notes writer (Editor of EMR), with a reprise of the opening statement. For some reason, this is missing from the Helios re-issue, and the abrupt ending to a fine piece of harpsichord playing is disconcerting. Hyperion have confirmed that it was so also on the original release as CDA66254 around 1990.

It is a good programme and the cantatas are useful examples of rare repertoire, well worth a new lease of catalogue life.

Peter Grahame Woolf