Italian Contemporary Music

This program presents a comprehensive overview of works by contemporary Italian composers played on the harpsichord, collected by Luca Quintavalle. Included are pieces for harpsichord already composed but not yet recorded (Morricone, Fedele, Solbiati, Nova, Galante, Cacciatore, Maestri, Di Cecca), arrangements for harpsichord by the artist, with the consent of the composer (Vacchi, Francesconi, Filidei, Lanza, Solbiati, Gervasoni) and completely new pieces written for the artist (Vacchi, Colombo Taccani, Palumbo, Baboni, Schilingi, Montalti, Capogrosso). It is fascinating to witness the experiments of contemporary composers when writing for the harpsichord, this "ancient" instrument, nowadays mostly used for Renaissance/Baroque music, but proving to be an endless source of unheard-of sounds and timbres, affects and sonorities. Luca Quintavalle is one of the most remarkable keyboard players of the moment. He has collaborated as a soloist with orchestras such as Concerto Köln, Les Talens Lyriques, Balthasar-Neumann-Ensemble, Cappella Gabetta, Il Canto d'Orfeo, Harmonie Universelle, Divino Sospiro, Il Pomo d'Oro, Capella Augustina, La Folia Barockorchester, Kölner Kammerorchester, Orchestre de la Suisse Romande and WDR Sinfonieorchester. His first solo recording of Jean-Baptiste Barrie're's and Bernard de Bury's harpsichord music by the label Brilliant Classics was chosen as "Recording of the month" from MusicWeb International and got really positive reviews ("a great deal of excellent playing by Luca Quintavalle; enjoyable listening, which may be unreservedly recommended." Early Music-Oxford Journal; "I don't expect this recording to be surpassed" American Record Guide. Recently he recorded the Piano Sonatas by Anton Eberl for Brilliant Classics, to great critical acclaim.