Credits:

Robin Johannsen, Carlo Vistoli, Giulio Prandi, Gislieri Consort, Gislieri Choir.

Description:

Mozart visited Italy, the home of opera, several times during his teenage years to acquire authentic vocal composition skills through the country's cutting-edge interpretation of ancient music, the essence of Italian art, which fascinated the genius. At that time, Milan, which was ruled by the Austrian Habsburg royal family, was a musical center that could not be overlooked along with Venice, the city of water, Rome, the headquarters of Catholicism, and Naples in the south. The Ghislieri Ensemble, which has been at the forefront of the Italian ancient music scene, focuses its attention this time on this ancient city, which has a unique chant tradition since the Middle Ages. Through thorough musical research and rich musicality, the Ghislieri have assembled a collection of outstanding church music works by composers active in Milan from the mid to late 18th century, and have combined them with Mozart's famous solo motet K. 165, composed and performed there. The album opens and closes with two masterpieces from the Milan period by Johann Christian, the youngest son of the great Bach, whom the boy prodigy met and was inspired by in London ("Magnificat" features the spirited male soprano Federico Fiorio, whose stunning solo in "Magnificat" evokes 18th century castrato singing). The soprano Robin Johansen, who is steadily making her presence felt on the ancient instrumental scene, delivers a radiant performance of Mozart's works, while the secret works of lesser-known composers such as Chiesa and Fiorini are also a delight to hear.This is an authentic 18th century style interpretation of a group of operatic masterpieces that blossomed in Italy on the eve of the classical era, with astonishingly masterful singing. Naxos Japan