Bruno de Sá & Ensemble 1700

In Rome around 1700, secular music flourished in subtle ways despite Pope Innocent XII’s ban on theater and opera performances for the benefit of sacred music, which reigned supreme.

Founded in 1690, the Accademia dell’Arcadia brought together defiant writers and musicians who presented operas, chamber music, concertos, and sonatas at weekly meetings — all held in secret.

Following the international success of their recording of Giovanni Bononcini’s Polifemo at the 2019 Potsdam Sanssouci Music Festival, recorder virtuoso Dorothee Oberlinger and acclaimed sopranist Bruno de Sá reunite for a program exploring the fascinating musical world of the Accademia dell’Arcadia. Together, they present works for recorder, soprano, and strings by some of the most influential composers associated with the academy, including Alessandro Scarlatti, Giovanni Bononcini, Arcangelo Corelli, and George Frideric Handel. Of these, Scarlatti was the chief influencer. He played a key role as an innovator and his music shines through in subsequent generations of composers, including the young Handel.

 

This is the story of an underground network of inspiration in Rome under prohibition that spread throughout Europe.