Credits:

Bavouzet, Jean-Efflam

Description:

This is the world premiere recording of four chamber sonatas and four duets by Giovanni Battista Cilli, a master cellist who received a royal warrant in the 1760s and performed throughout Europe. Cilli was recorded attending Mozart's first concert in London at the age of eight. Little is known of Cilli's work, but there have been several recordings of his six cello concertos. The pleasant melodies are wonderfully structured to capture the characteristics of the instruments, and this is a work that deserves to be performed more often. The sonatas in the recording are full of technical commitment and appealing melodies. The duet, on the other hand, offers a glimpse of the composer's theatrical side, as the two instruments take the limelight in an excellently balanced work with equal solo roles. The piece is clearly intended for a pedagogical use, played by teacher and student. This is the debut album by the Breaking Bass Ensemble, a Spanish string ensemble whose mission is to revive the hidden masterpieces of chamber music lost during the Baroque era.