01. Le bizarrie universali, Op. 8, Concerto No. 1 “Al’ Inglese” I. Allegro
02. Le bizarrie universali, Op. 8, Concerto No. 1 “Al’ Inglese” II. Aria cantabile
03. Le bizarrie universali, Op. 8, Concerto No. 1 “Al’ Inglese” III. Presto – Allegro assai
04. Kindly Fate at Length Release Me No. 1, Kindly Fate at Length Release Me
05. Kindly Fate at Length Release Me No. 2, Thus to His Lyre the Drooping Swain
06. Kindly Fate at Length Release Me No. 3, Rouse, Rouse, Rouse
07. Concerto Grosso No. 1 in D Major (After Corelli’s, Op. 5 No. 1) Ia. Grave
08. Concerto Grosso No. 1 in D Major (After Corelli’s, Op. 5 No. 1) Ib. Adagio
09. Concerto Grosso No. 1 in D Major (After Corelli’s, Op. 5 No. 1) Ic. Allegro
10. Concerto Grosso No. 1 in D Major (After Corelli’s, Op. 5 No. 1) Id. Adagio
11. Concerto Grosso No. 1 in D Major (After Corelli’s, Op. 5 No. 1) II. Allegro
12. Concerto Grosso No. 1 in D Major (After Corelli’s, Op. 5 No. 1) III. Allegro
13. Concerto Grosso No. 1 in D Major (After Corelli’s, Op. 5 No. 1) IV. Adagio
14. Concerto Grosso No. 1 in D Major (After Corelli’s, Op. 5 No. 1) V. Allegro
15. The Spring No. 1, Fragrant Flora
16. The Spring No. 2, Thus on a Fruitful Hill
17. The Spring No. 3, Love and Pleasures Gaily Flowing
18. Concerto Grosso No. 11 in E Major (After Corelli’s, Op. 5 No. 11) I. Adagio
19. Concerto Grosso No. 11 in E Major (After Corelli’s, Op. 5 No. 11) II. Allegro
20. Concerto Grosso No. 11 in E Major (After Corelli’s, Op. 5 No. 11) III. Adagio
21. Concerto Grosso No. 11 in E Major (After Corelli’s, Op. 5 No. 11) IV. Vivace
22. Concerto Grosso No. 11 in E Major (After Corelli’s, Op. 5 No. 11) V. Allegro
23. Chloe No. 1, Airy Cloe Proud and Young
24. Chloe No. 2, Leave Me
25. Chloe No. 3, Fir’d by This Disdain
26. Chloe No. 4, This I’ve Done to Prove Thee
27. Sonata in C Major for Trumpet & Oboe, Op. 1 No. 12 I. Adagio
28. Sonata in C Major for Trumpet & Oboe, Op. 1 No. 12 II. Largo
29. Sonata in C Major for Trumpet & Oboe, Op. 1 No. 12 III. Vivace
30. Sonata in C Major for Trumpet & Oboe, Op. 1 No. 12 IV. Allegro
31. While Pale Britannia Pensive Sate No. 1, While Pale Britannia Pensive Sate
32. While Pale Britannia Pensive Sate No. 2, How Long, Unhappy Isle
33. While Pale Britannia Pensive Sate No. 3, She Sigh’d and Would Have Farther Said
34. While Pale Britannia Pensive Sate No. 4, No. More Britannia, Sigh No. More
35. Le bizarrie universali, Op. 8, Concerto No. 2 “Alla Bolognese” I. Allegro
36. Le bizarrie universali, Op. 8, Concerto No. 2 “Alla Bolognese” II. Largo andante
37. Le bizarrie universali, Op. 8, Concerto No. 2 “Alla Bolognese” III. Allegro
Period ensemble Spiritato’s Delphian debut transports us back to a decisive juncture in the history of English music. The Taste of this Nation is a picture of the rapid arrival and astonishing success of Italian styles, genres and indeed musicians in London in the early 1700s, showing that a vibrant, cosmopolitan scene had arisen in the capital even before the arrival of Handel on British shores in 1710.
One of the prime instigators of the Italianate tendency was in fact an immigrant from Prussia. Johann Christoph Pepusch composed for the Italian soprano Margarita de L’Epine (also based in London) what can be regarded as the first English cantatas in the Italian style.
Spiritato are joined by mezzo Ciara Hendrick, on dazzling vocal form in four of these works, while the vigour and precision of the ensemble’s playing led by violinist Kinga Ujszászi comes to the fore in instrumental works by two native Englishmen which again evidence Italian connections.
Obadiah Shuttleworth’s concerti grossi are inventive reimaginings of violin sonatas by Corelli, and William Corbett’s infectious Bizarrie Universali show how a composer who had spent extensive time on the Continent could trade on his Italian connections to win favour with audiences in his native land.