ConcertPulse
Vinci: Oratorio per la Madonna del Rosario
Laeiszhalle, Großer Saal (Hamburg)
Besides Venice, Naples was also one of the most important musical cities in Italy from the 17th century. French lawyer and scholar Charles de Brosses even described it as the »capital of the music world«. The »Neapolitan School« – a group of composers originating from Naples who for over a hundred years significantly influenced the history of opera and moved stylistically between late baroque and pre-classical were a large part of this assessment. Besides composers Alessandro Scarlatti and Giovanni Battista Pergolesi, still very well-known today, Leonardo Vinci was also part of this circle. With his »Oratorio per la Madonna del Rosario«, 300 years after its premiere, you can now experience a real rarity and rediscovery at the start of the »Viva Napoli« Festival. Leonardo Vinci’s operas also remained on the repertoires for a long time after his death in 1730 – evidence of the tremendous reputation of the composer. Yet the oratorio to honour the Madonna of the rosary was only handed down in a unique script and was virtually not performed at all any more since its origin around 1723. A challenge which seems to be made for the early music ensemble Arsenale Sonoro, formed in 2014. It has set itself the objective of reviving forgotten musical gems from the baroque period using painstaking research and passionate dedication. With the rediscovery of Vinci, the composer now celebrates his debut at the Laeiszhalle.