TORMENTO D'AMORE

With the 10 arias on Tormento d amore Ian Bostridge demonstrates the important place that the tenor voice held in Italian opera from the mid-17th to the mid-18th century often thought of as the era of the castrato. At this time there were two main centres of opera in Italy: Venice where such composers as Cavalli Vivaldi Cesti Stradella Sartorio and Legrenzi were active and Naples home to Provenzale Caresana Vinci and Fago. In addition to arias two of them in world premiere recordings the album offers five instrumental sinfonie and a traditional Neapolitan song Lu cardillo or The Goldfinch a songbird closely associated with Naples. Bostridge is partnered by conductor Antonio Florio and his ensemble Cappella Neapolitana.