L'amante gigante; Chi non prova star lontano; Era la notte e muto; Intorno all'idol mio; Per voler quel ch'io non voglio; Venti, turbini, procelle
+Giuseppe Colombi: La Tromba
+Giovanni Lorenzo Lulier: Sonate für Violine & Bc F-Dur

Antonio Cesti (1623-1669), the ninth son of a modest family from Arezzo, is a multifaceted personality of Italian Baroque music. He was a cantor in various churches in his home town before taking up organist positions first at Santa Croce in Florence and then at Volterra Cathedral.

The protection of the Medici family was decisive for Cesti's career and his first position outside Italy was at the Innsbruck court of Archduke Ferdinand Charles of Tyrol, the husband of Anna de' Medici. He was held in high esteem at the Tyrolean court, but in 1659 he went to Rome and joined the papal chapel to serve the nephew of Pope Alexander VII, Cardinal Flavio Chigi. The following year in Rome, he created his largest cantata production. He then spent his time alternating between Vienna and his hometown of Florence, close to his Medici patrons. This recording begins and ends with three-part serenades for two sopranos and a bass.

Interspersed are solo arias, including "Intorno all'idol mio", probably Cesti's most famous work, as it was included in Parisotti's collection "Arie antiche" and was used as a method by many aspiring singers. The version presented here is the rare reduction for soprano and continuo without the two violins (from a source in the Sala del Dottorato library of the University of Perugia). The cantata for two voices (soprano and bass) "Per voler quel ch'io non voglio" is attributed to Cesti in a source in the Venetian Marcello Conservatory, but a source in the Naples Conservatory attributes it - perhaps more credibly - to Stradella.

Instrumental works by contemporary composers round off the CD: an instrumental aria by Giuseppe Colombi and a lovely sonata attributed to Giovanni Lorenzo Lulier. Colombi's ironic solo "La Tromba a basso" parodies the extreme duet of a low string instrument (bass) and a high wind instrument (trumpet). Lulier, known as Giovannino del Violone, is generally regarded as the author of the enchanting Violone Sonata in F presented here.

Further information:
- Recorded in March 2024 in Rome, Italy
- The English-language booklet contains liner notes by Maria Adele Ambrosio and profiles of the ensemble and vocal soloists.
- Cesti's "L'amante gigante" and "Venti, turbini, procelle" appear in their first modern recordings.

- Antonio Cesti (1623-1669) was an Italian composer and singer of the Baroque period, known for his secular vocal music, especially operas and cantatas. Born in Arezzo, Cesti initially trained as a Franciscan monk, but later embarked on a musical career and achieved fame throughout Italy and Austria.
- He played a key role in the development of Venetian opera, shaping its sublimity and emotional depth. His most famous opera, Il Pomo d'Oro (1667), was a sumptuous spectacle composed for the wedding celebrations of Emperor Leopold I.
- Cesti's vocal style emphasized clarity and ornamentation, which made his music particularly attractive to audiences of the time. His secular cantatas exhibit the same lyrical qualities and often feature expressive recitatives and ariosos that heighten the dramatic impact of the text.
- This new recording contains cantatas, arias and serenatas by Cesti as well as vocal music by Giuseppe Colombi and Giovanni Lulier.
- Performed by the Romabarocca Ensemble with three vocal soloists, bass violin and harpsichord.