Little is known about the childhood of Nicola Fiorenza (1700c-64), except that taught at the Conservatory of S. Maria di Loreto in his home city of Naples from 1742-62, from where he was dismissed for allegedly mistreating pupils after repeated complaints about his rather draconian teaching methods. His surviving works show him to be his own man, cultivating a style that is a skillful blend of Venetian, Neapolitan and French Baroque styles. He was also a very skilled exponent of counterpoint. His music is certainly stands out from the mainstream of late Italian baroque. Fiorenza's four concertos are coupled on this disc with a delightful work by another little known Neapolitan composer - Giovanni Battista Mele (1694?-after 1752). Hios lively and cleverly composed concerto for recorder and strings is a real discovery, and is his only known concerto.
1 Concerto for Recorder, 3 Violins & Continuo in G minor: 1. Moderato
2 Concerto for Recorder, 3 Violins & Continuo in G minor: 2. Allegro
3 Concerto for Recorder, 3 Violins & Continuo in G minor: 3. Largo
4 Concerto for Recorder, 3 Violins & Continuo in G minor: 4. Allegro
5 Concerto for Recorder, 2 Violins & Continuo in a Minor: 1. Largo
6 Concerto for Recorder, 2 Violins & Continuo in a Minor: 2. Allegro
7 Concerto for Recorder, 2 Violins & Continuo in a Minor: 3. Grave
8 Concerto for Recorder, 2 Violins & Continuo in a Minor: 4. Allegro Assai
9 Concerto for Recorder, 3 Violins, Viola & Continuo in C minor: 1. Largo Amoroso
10 Concerto for Recorder, 3 Violins, Viola & Continuo in C minor: 2. Andante
11 Concerto for Recorder, 3 Violins, Viola & Continuo in C minor: 3. Largo
12 Concerto for Recorder, 3 Violins, Viola & Continuo in C minor: 4. Allegro
13 Concerto for Recorder, 3 Violins, Viola & Continuo in F minor: 1. Largo - Presto - Largo
14 Concerto for Recorder, 3 Violins, Viola & Continuo in F minor: 2. Allegro Ma Non Presto
15 Concerto for Recorder, 3 Violins, Viola & Continuo in F minor: 3. Largo
16 Concerto for Recorder, 3 Violins, Viola & Continuo in F minor: 4. Allegro
17 Concerto in F, for Recorder, 2 Violins & B.C.: 1. Andante
18 Concerto in F, for Recorder, 2 Violins & B.C.: 2. Allegro
19 Concerto in F, for Recorder, 2 Violins & B.C.: 3. Adagio
20 Concerto in F, for Recorder, 2 Violins & B.C.: 4. Allegro
Little is known about the childhood of Nicola Fiorenza (1700c-64), except that taught at the Conservatory of S. Maria di Loreto in his home city of Naples from 1742-62, from where he was dismissed for allegedly mistreating pupils after repeated complaints about his rather draconian teaching methods. His surviving works show him to be his own man, cultivating a style that is a skillful blend of Venetian, Neapolitan and French Baroque styles. He was also a very skilled exponent of counterpoint. His music is certainly stands out from the mainstream of late Italian baroque. Fiorenza's four concertos are coupled on this disc with a delightful work by another little known Neapolitan composer - Giovanni Battista Mele (1694?-after 1752). Hios lively and cleverly composed concerto for recorder and strings is a real discovery, and is his only known concerto.
