Geminiano Giacomelli (1692-1740), like many other composers of his time, enjoyed wide popularity during his lifetime thanks to his operatic endeavours and was later forgotten, a victim of the rapid changes in the Baroque era, until musicologists began pronouncing his name again in connection with the figures of legendary singers of the 18th century such as Farinelli, and early music pioneers rescued his music from dusty library shelves – mainly moved by the desire of rediscovering the repertoire of Farinelli & his colleagues, more than the composers per se. Unsurprisingly, these singers’ ability or acclaim was often responsible for the success of a certain work and a certain composer, and, centuries later, they are again among the main reasons why these works and composers enjoy a second chance. Giacomelli’s fame was mainly based on his operatic production, to the point of some of his works being performed as far as Vienna or even in London, i.e. a production directed by Handel. Unfortunately, it is certainly not easy to make a complete portrait of our composer’s operatic output, as many of his scores have been lost or only fragments and single arias have survived the course of time.
Giacomelli’s theatrical writing is full of wit, invention and melodic flair. The style, of course, is very much that of his time, focusing on the practice of full belcanto in all his glory: the vocal treatment uses the full range of coloratura, intervallic jumps, long lines, certain rhythms, chromatic passages to express either instability or emotionality, etc. The countertenorç Flavio Ferri-Benedetti’s selection, encompassing the period from 1729 to 1735, tries to display not only Giacomelli’s “lively imagination”, but also the wide spectrum of affetti which the baroque opera seria made use of. The eleven arias sung here (accompanied by a handful of sinfonie) depict various feelings and situations, as well as several different styles: heroic, pathetic, sentimental or “proud” arias, arie parlanti, arie di mezzo carattere, arie di simile... Ferri-Benedetti has been performing worldwide as a countertenor since 200, with a repertoire ranging from medieval to post-romantic music. Apart from an intense activity in the fields of Lied and sacred music, one should highligh his numerous operatic and concert appearances.
For over 25 years, the ensemble Musica Fiorita, conducted by Daniela Dolci, has been specializing in the performance of late Renaissance and Baroque music. The ensemble strives to promote the current standards of historically informed performance practice and is committed to being true to both the original scores and the liveliness of their performance. © SM/Qobuz