Biagio Marini - opus 8 Con curiose & Moderne Inventioni - CordArte

Biagio Marini (1597-1663)
opus 8   -   Con curiose & Moderne Inventioni - 1629


CordArte
Daniel Deuter – violin/violon
Margret Baumgartl – violin/violon
Heike Johanna Lindner – viola da gamba/viole de gambe
Andreas Arend – chitarrone/chitarrone
Johanna Seitz – harp/harpe
Adrian Rovatkay – dulcian/dulcian
Detlef Reimers – sackbut/sacqueboute
Markus Märkl – harpsichord/clavecin, organ/orgue


Opus 8 by Biagio Marini, which was printed in Venice in 1629, consists of a total of six part-books. Apart from the solos composed for the violin, it contains sonatas for several voices, canzonas and dance movements for a variety of instruments, such as trombones, bassoons, viola da gamba and for various harmony instruments, such as organ, harp and chitarrone. The title page already extols the effective virtuoso of the compositions for the violin Ð among other things with the enticing wording of curiose e moderne inventioni. Capriccio 14 for two violins may serve as an example: At the beginning and the end of the piece the two violins constitute a four-part movement playing double stops. At other points, Marini uses scordaturas for the violin, thus a change of tuning of a string during the piece to provide special sound effects. In all these different ways Biagio Marini managed to keep the musical tension alive. None of his works restricts itself to mere virtuosity or superficial effects, and thus it is easy to understand why Biagio Marini was so popular as a musician all over Europe.


The ensemble Cordarte was founded in 1998 in Cologne with the idea of bringing new life to early music on authentic instruments. The name comprises the elements Corda (string) and Arte (art). Cordarte focuses on the 17th century trio sonata for violin, gamba and continuo; a scoring which provides an immense repertoire of Italian, German and English music. Programmes which include singers, a flute or second violin are another facet of the ensemble's work. Further projects include the use of actors and recitation, for example with the former newsreader Wilhelm Wieben in a Casanova da Ponte evening at the Niedersächsische Musiktage 2001. The latest project was a co-production with the WDR radio station in a Commedia dell' Arte performance, together with the theatre Narrattak of Essen. Cordarte has performed in concerts and festivals all over Germany, including the NDR radio station in Hamburg, the Thüringer Bachwochen, the Güldener Herbst Erfurt, the Leitheimer Schlosskonzerte, the Fränkischer Sommer, the Uckermärkische Musikwochen, the Bach Archiv Leipzig, the Tage Alter Musik Herne, the Germanisches Nationalmuseum Nürnberg, the newly founded Easter festival Feste Musicali Cologne and the Händelfestspiele Halle - together with numerous broadcasts.