The prologue is a unique feature of early baroque opera: an opening scene where an allegorical figure enters the stage to prepare the audience for the musical drama to come. Thus Prologue is the musical introduction of Italian star soprano Francesca Aspromonte and her exclusive, long term engagement with Pentatone, promising great joy as well as drama in the years to come.

Prologue is a highly original album consisting of several prologues from early-baroque operas by Monteverdi, Caccini, Cavalli, Landi, Rossi, Cesti, Stradella and Scarlatti. Strung together, they form a representation in a single act, a theatre full of small, complete dramas: the opera before the opera.

Francesca Aspromonte is quickly establishing herself as a shining star in the Baroque firmament.

She has curated this album together with musical director Enrico Onofri, who leads il pomo d’oro, one of the most important and successful period ensembles of today.

• Caccini, G: Io che d'alti sospir (from La Euridice)
• Caccini, G: L'Euridice
• Cavalli: Caduta è Troia (from La Didone)
• Cavalli: Eritrea
• Cavalli: L'Ormindo
• Cavalli: La Didone
• Cavalli: Ne le grotte arimaspe (from L'Eritrea)
• Cavalli: Non mi è Patria l'Olimpo (from L'Ormindo)
• Cesti: De' gotici splendori (from L'Argia)
• Cesti: Il pomo d'oro
• Cesti: Il pomo d'oro, amore et Imeneo
• Cesti: L'Argia
• Landi, S: Roma son io (from Il Sant' Alessio)
• Landi, S: Sant'Alessio
• Monteverdi: L'Orfeo
• Monteverdi: L'Orfeo: 'Dal mio Parnasso amato'
• Rossi, Luigi: Il palazzo incantato, ovvero La guerriera amante
• Rossi, Luigi: Vaghi rivi (from Il palazzo incantato)
• Scarlatti, A: Gli equivoci in amore, o vero La Rosaura
• Stradella: Cessate, oh fulmini! (from Gli equivoci in amore)
• Stradella: Con meste luci (from La Pace incatenata)
• Stradella: Sinfonia a due violini e basso continuo
• Stradella: Sinfonia No. 8 for 2 Violins and Continuo in A minor