La cetra-6 Concertos

Performed by the well-respected Collegium Musicum 90 under Simon Standage, this popular CD is issued for the first time at Chandos Classics price

Chandos gives you a new opportunity to explore anew this repertoire in the form of these inventive, good-humoured and playful works

A slightly older contemporary of Vivaldi, Alessandro Marcello is a less well-known composer of the early eighteenth century, whose home town was Venice and whose younger brother was the more prolific Benedetto. These well-crafted concerti, the most famous works among his output, are sadly infrequently performed. The six 'La Cetra' concertos are unusual for their wind solo parts, instrumental contrasts and combinations, and use of counterpoint within a broadly, Vivaldian style. They provide a cross-section of Marcello's instrumental style of composition and can be seen as a last outpost of the classic Venetian baroque concerto.

This was a popular CD on its original release, and is sure to be welcomed as a re-issue at Classics price.
Reviews

'Quotes from the original release:
Contributing significantly to the picture of eighteenth-century Venetian musical life, this essay by Standage and the Collegium Musicum 90 will provide compulsory study material for aficionados of the era and spiritual citizens of La Serenissima. Recommended.'
Fanfare

'Collegium Musicum 90 yield stylish performances with well detailed and crisp articulation throughout.'
Classic CD

'An unqualified delight.'
Soundscapes